Federal Court Eases Free Speech Restrictions in Tennessee’s Controversial Abortion Law
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A federal judge has partially blocked a Tennessee law that criminalized the recruitment or transportation of a minor for an unlawful abortion without parental consent, marking a significant ruling regarding free speech rights. The judge deemed that the law’s provisions relating to “recruitment” impose unconstitutional restrictions on protected speech. The decision stemmed from a lawsuit filed in June 2024 by Tennessee State Representative Aftyn Behn, a Democrat from Nashville, alongside family law attorney Rachel Welty. They contested the law, asserting it violated their First Amendment rights and was vague in its language. … Read more