A proposed Tennessee bill that would allow prosecutors to seek the death penalty for women who have abortions is drawing intense backlash from residents across the state.
As first reported by The Tennessean, an amendment to House Bill 570 and Senate Bill 738 would classify abortion as fetal homicide and remove existing legal protections for pregnant women. If passed, women “involved in the homicide of her own unborn child” could face penalties ranging from life imprisonment to life without parole, and in some cases, capital punishment.
The legislation, sponsored by Rep. Jody Barrett, R-Dickson, and Sen. Mark Pody, R-Lebanon, has been referred to the House Population Health Subcommittee. The proposal would not allow retroactive prosecutions and would take effect July 1 if approved.
Tennessee already enforces one of the strictest abortion bans in the country under its Human Life Protection Act, which prohibits abortion from fertilization with narrow medical exceptions. Performing an abortion is currently a Class C felony for physicians. The new amendment would shift potential criminal liability to women themselves.
Online reaction from Tennesseans was overwhelmingly critical.
Over on Reddit in a popular thread discussing the report, many users questioned the proportionality of the proposed punishment. One wrote, “What’s the penalty for raping children?” Others argued that the bill appeared to impose harsher consequences for abortion than for other violent crimes.
Several users expressed concern that the language of the bill could create legal risks for women who experience miscarriages or require medical procedures such as dilation and curettage. One commenter shared, “Having had a miscarriage and D&C, with this new law, I’d be charged with murder. This isn’t something to joke about.”
Criticism also centered on what some described as contradictions in the state’s broader reproductive policy. Tennessee lawmakers narrowly passed legislation last year protecting access to contraception and in vitro fertilization. In the Reddit discussion, one user wrote, “Consider that TN passed a bill specifically protecting IVF treatment last year. This is not about life beginning at conception.” Another added, “Someone should tell him what happens to unused IVF embryos.”
Supporters of the amendment, including Southern Baptist Convention President Clint Pressley, have framed the measure as an equal protection issue. Pressley said the bill would “provide preborn children with equal protection of the laws.” The Foundation to Abolish Abortion has also backed the proposal, arguing that it ensures all human beings are equally protected under state and federal law.
Opponents online, however, characterized the effort as punitive and extreme. One widely upvoted comment described the proposal as “barbaric.” Another morbidly joked, “So pro-life they’ll kill you.”
Beyond moral arguments, some Tennesseans voiced frustration that lawmakers are focusing on abortion expansion rather than economic or infrastructure concerns. One commenter wrote, “So many actual problems in this state, and this is what the gov is worried about.”
A smaller number of posts reflected a broader sense of alarm about the state’s political direction, describing the proposal as dystopian or indicative of escalating culture war legislation.
The bill currently remains in committee and has not yet been scheduled for a vote. With at least three co-sponsors and vocal support from certain conservative leaders, it is likely to continue generating debate as the legislative session progresses.
