CNA Staff, Nov 20, 2020 / 18:25 pm
An 18-state coalition filed a brief this week supporting a Tennessee law banning abortions based on an unborn child's race, sex, or Down syndrome diagnosis.
"Protecting the most vulnerable members of society is an interest of the utmost importance for States. And it is hard to imagine a scenario where this interest comes into sharper focus than protecting unborn children from eugenics-motivated abortions," reads the brief, which was filed with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.
The brief was authored by Daniel Cameron, attorney general of Kentucky. The states of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, and West Virginia also signed onto the brief.
The coalition is voicing support for a Tennessee law passed earlier this year to ban abortions that are sought on the basis of race, sex, or a diagnosis of Down syndrome. The law also bans abortion after the point at which a fetal heartbeat can be detected - as early as six weeks into pregnancy.