ELEVEN REPUBLICANS, ONE FROM KINGSTON, ASKING FOR VETO ON BIRTH CONTROL BILL
Eleven Tennessee House Republicans sent a letter to Governor Bill Lee on April 16, urging him to veto HB 533, the “Fertility Treatment and Contraceptive Protection Act,” which passed the House 54-37 on April 10. The bill, introduced by Sen. Becky Duncan-Massey (R-Knoxville) and Rep. Iris Rudder (R-Winchester), ensures Tennesseans’ access to birth control and fertility treatments, including emergency contraceptives, sterilization, and IVF, by adding legal definitions and protections to the state code.
Supported by Planned Parenthood, the ACLU, and all 24 House Democrats, the bill is seen by the letter’s signers as a potential “Trojan horse” that could undermine Tennessee’s pro-life stance, particularly regarding unused embryos and selective reduction in IVF pregnancies, which they equate to abortion.
The eleven Republicans who signed the letter are:
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Rep. Chris Todd (R-Madison County)
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Rep. Monty Fritts (R-Kingston)
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Rep. Michele Reneau (R-Signal Mountain)
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Rep. Jody Barrett (R-Dickson)
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Rep. Ed Butler (R-Rickman)
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Rep. Timothy Hill (R-Blountville)
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Rep. Todd Warner (R-Chapel Hill)
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Rep. Kip Capley (D-Summertown)
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Rep. Aron Maberry (R-Clarksville)
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Rep. Scott Cepicky (R-Culleoka)
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Rep. Brock Martin (R-Huntingdon)
