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Federal judge rules Tennessee abortion law unconstitutional
https://apnews.com/article/tennessee-bdabed74013fb2d258a91e9fd9c956f9Federal judge rules Tennessee abortion law unconstitutional
By TRAVIS LOLLER
yesterday
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A federal judge on Wednesday ruled that Tennessee’s 48-hour waiting period law for abortions is unconstitutional because it serves no legitimate purpose while placing a substantial burden on women who seek abortions in Tennessee.
Tennessee’s 2015 law requires women to make two trips to an abortion clinic, first for mandatory counseling and then for the abortion at least 48 hours later.
In his ruling, U.S. District Judge Bernard Freidman found that the state could not show that the law furthers its purported goals.
“Women’s mental and emotional health is not benefited because the mandatory waiting period does nothing to increase the decisional certainty among women contemplating having an abortion,” Friedman wrote. “Further, the evidence demonstrates that at least 95% of women are certain of their decisions, post-abortion regret is uncommon, and abortion does not increase women’s risk of negative mental health outcomes.”
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