House Republican Caucus Chair opposed to Alabama IVF ruling
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Many families throughout the United States go through in-vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments each year.
The treatment essentially allows families struggling with infertility to have children by combining an egg and sperm outside the body to create an embryo in a process called fertilization. A fertility lab will likely fertilize multiple embryos in an attempt to create a successful pregnancy. Extras are typically thrown out.
But right now in Alabama, IVF treatments are on pause after the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that once a lab fertilizes an egg, it’s considered a living child. That means if an extra embryo is discarded, it would violate Alabama’s abortion law and potentially lead to criminal consequences.
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“We are terrified about what we’ve seen following Dobbs and the increasingly extreme legislation in court rulings that are coming out,” Sen. Jeff Yarbro (D-Nashville) said.
Democrats slammed the ruling as a bleak glimpse into what could be the post-Dobbs future in Tennessee.
“We sponsored legislation last year to ensure that people’s rights to utilize IVF would be protected, and that legislation was rejected,” Yarbro said. “I think there’s no reason for anyone to find comfort that we’re not going down that path here.”
Though one member of Republican leadership came out against Alabama’s move during a press conference with reporters Thursday.
“We’re pro-life all the way,” House Republican Caucus Chair Jeremy Faison (R-Cosby) said. “I don’t know how pro-life that was.”
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It was a sentiment even some Democrats echoed, as well.
“This is probably the least pro-family thing the Alabama Supreme Court could do,” Rep. Bo Mitchell (D-Nashville) said.
That’s not to say Tennessee absolutely will not go down the same path. Though a member of leadership, Faison is only one Republican in a state that has shown consistent tendencies of swinging toward extremism.
“I hope to be very careful when you start going down that aisle with what Alabama just did,” Faison said.
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Speaker of the House Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville) said he hadn’t seen the decision or rationale so he couldn’t speak on it.
Gov. Bill Lee’s (R-Tennessee) office sent a statement that read in full: “Tennessee is one of the most pro-life states in the country. We will always cherish life at every stage and support hopeful parents who are praying for children of their own, including those who seek to grow their family through IVF.”
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