ACCESS DENIED

Court Lets Tennessee Ban Abortions Over Sex, Race or Down Syndrome

A lower court had put a hold on the “reason bans” while a new law was litigated—but an appeals panel overturned it.

A federal appeals panel has overruled a lower court and will let Tennessee implement a ban on abortions in which the pregnancy is being terminated because of the fetus’ sex or race or because it might have Down syndrome. The lower court had put a hold on the so-called “reason” bans during litigation over a series of new abortion restrictions. But the Nashville Tennessean reports that the 6th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals ruled the bans can be in effect for now. Abortion providers immediately asked a federal judge to issue a temporary restraining order “to ensure that their patients are not forced to continue their pregnancies against their will.”