Tennessee GOP State Rep. Proposed Law Making Women Eligible for the Death Penalty for Getting an Abortion

A Tennessee lawmaker proposed a law that could potentially make women who have an abortion eligible for the death penalty.

WTVF reported that state Rep. Jody Barrett, a Republican, proposed legislation that would make women who get an abortion open to homicide or assault charges in Tennessee, which is a death penalty state.

“Murder should be murder, whether it’s a person in being or a person in utero,” Barrett told the outlet.

He also claimed that the proposal, which is a potential amendment to a bill dealing with the upkeep of a state capitol “monument to unborn children,” is not meant to target mothers.

“I think that’s a talking point saying that you’re targeting mothers. We’re not targeting mothers,” Barrett told WTVF. “We’re targeting unborn children and trying to protect them and give them the protection under the law for you and me.”

He also said it was unlikely that anyone would be sentenced to death under the amendment, which has not been formally proposed.

“A simple examination of the death penalty in Tennessee would show that that’s just not realistic,” Barrett told the outlet. “Now, do I have to admit that the death penalty is a possibility? Sure. But since the death penalty was reinstated in Tennessee in 1977, there’s been less than 200 people sentenced to death, and only 16 have actually been executed — none of them women.”

The Nashville Banner reported that GOP state Sen. Mark Pody, who sponsored a version of the bill in the senate, said it was unlikely to pass the state Senate.

“I am a pro-life individual, so I don’t want to back down from that position in any way,” Pody told the paper. “But in this case, this happens to be an amendment that came from the House; I didn’t write this amendment.”

“So my options are, is this an amendment that I would run, that I feel like would pass in the Senate, and at this point, based on the conversations I’ve had with my colleagues, I just don’t have the votes to pass it,” Pody continued.

According to WTVF, the state already has strict abortion laws that punish doctors who perform abortion procedures.

A Tennessee lawmaker proposed a law that could potentially make women who have an abortion eligible for the death penalty.

WTVF reported that state Rep. Jody Barrett, a Republican, proposed legislation that would make women who get an abortion open to homicide or assault charges in Tennessee, which is a death penalty state.

“Murder should be murder, whether it’s a person in being or a person in utero,” Barrett told the outlet.

He also claimed that the proposal, which is a potential amendment to a bill dealing with the upkeep of a state capitol “monument to unborn children,” is not meant to target mothers.

“I think that’s a talking point saying that you’re targeting mothers. We’re not targeting mothers,” Barrett told WTVF. “We’re targeting unborn children and trying to protect them and give them the protection under the law for you and me.”

He also said it was unlikely that anyone would be sentenced to death under the amendment, which has not been formally proposed.

“A simple examination of the death penalty in Tennessee would show that that’s just not realistic,” Barrett told the outlet. “Now, do I have to admit that the death penalty is a possibility? Sure. But since the death penalty was reinstated in Tennessee in 1977, there’s been less than 200 people sentenced to death, and only 16 have actually been executed — none of them women.”

The Nashville Banner reported that GOP state Sen. Mark Pody, who sponsored a version of the bill in the senate, said it was unlikely to pass the state Senate.

“I am a pro-life individual, so I don’t want to back down from that position in any way,” Pody told the paper. “But in this case, this happens to be an amendment that came from the House; I didn’t write this amendment.”

“So my options are, is this an amendment that I would run, that I feel like would pass in the Senate, and at this point, based on the conversations I’ve had with my colleagues, I just don’t have the votes to pass it,” Pody continued.

According to WTVF, the state already has strict abortion laws that punish doctors who perform abortion procedures.