Fighting for life

Challenges to Tennessee’s strong anti-abortion laws draw the ire of Catholic women voters

The East Tennessee Catholic

The 2023 edition of Pro-Life Women’s Day on the Hill proved to be an exercise in civic action and grassroots legislative influence as Catholic women from across the state convened in Nashville on March 21 to voice their support for Tennessee’s strong pro-life laws.

The women found themselves in the crosshairs of legislative maneuvers to challenge the state’s Human Life Protection Act, which makes all abortion illegal in Tennessee. That challenge also marks the first test to the state’s nationally recognized pro-life legislation since the U.S. Supreme Court issued its decision last June in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization case, reversing the longstanding Roe v. Wade ruling legalizing abortion in the United States.

Some 200 anti-abortion voices walked the halls of the state Legislative Plaza, where the offices of Tennessee senators and representatives are located and where legislative committee hearings are held, and met with lawmakers.

And for those attending Women’s Day on the Hill, which is sponsored by Tennessee Right to Life, no hearing was more important than the Senate Judiciary Committee, which approved on March 21 amended legislation that updates Tennessee’s Human Life Protection Act and keeps one of the nation’s strongest pro-life laws intact.

A voice for the little ones

“At Pro-life Women’s Day on the Hill, concerned citizens from across the state came together in the halls of the legislature to be a voice for the little ones. It was a great day filled with inspiration and opportunity,” said Stacy Dunn, president of Tennessee Right to Life and director of the Knox County chapter of TRL.

“Pro-lifers met with legislators and asked them to support the addition of Amendment No. 5705 to SB745 as was done in the House. In the afternoon, during the committee meeting, the amendment was added to the bill without discussion and was ultimately passed with only one dissenting vote. Thanks be to God,” added Mrs. Dunn, who attends Holy Ghost Church in Knoxville.

Amendment No. 5705 clarifies that treatments of ectopic pregnancy and miscarriage are in no way considered criminal abortions under the existing Human Life Protection Act, and it changes the affirmative defense to an exception for those times when the mother’s life is in danger.

“These changes will not broaden the scope of Tennessee law or allow for more abortions in our state,” Mrs. Dunn said.

Tennessee Right to Life had opposed efforts to amend the Human Life Protection Act earlier in the legislative session with a version that had backing by Tennessee’s medical community.

Mrs. Dunn said that in early March TRL issued a plea for pro-life supporters to contact members of the House Health Committee to oppose House Bill 883, which she believed “would have gutted the Human Life Protection Act, which protects the right to life of all unborn children and made it unenforceable. This bill had already passed the House Health Subcommittee in an 8-1 vote.”

“At that point, things looked bleak. Pro-life legislators were being told this was a pro-life bill. Hospital lobbyists, along with the powerful Tennessee Medical Association, abortion activists, and pro-abortion legislators, were all behind this measure. It would take a miracle to turn things around,” Mrs. Dunn added.

She explained that after the subcommittee vote, work went into drafting an amendment that would keep Tennessee’s law strong while adding certain clarifications. The result was Amendment No. 5705, which the full House passed on March 20 and the Senate is now considering.

“The Senate companion bill, SB745, was scheduled to be in the Senate Judiciary Committee the same day of Women’s Day on the Hill. Isn’t God’s timing perfect?” Mrs. Dunn observed.

Will Brewer, legal counsel and legislative liaison for Tennessee Right to Life, briefed those attending Women’s Day on the Hill about the rapidly changing legislative moves to either change the Human Life Protection Act or keep it intact.

Grassroots supporters in action

As lawmakers were strategizing about the legislation inside the Legislative Plaza across the street from the Women’s Day on the Hill venue, the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum, Mr. Brewer let Women’s Day on the Hill attendees know that the uncertain political status surrounding pro-life amendment language was changing even as they spoke.

While the amendment to the Human Life Protection Act has dominated interest in the 2023 legislature, TRL also has been supporting legislation to prohibit any government funding to aid women in traveling outside of Tennessee to get an abortion. Also, efforts to place rape and incest exceptions in the Human Life Protection Act failed.

Tennessee’s pro-life laws closely follow Catholic Church teaching on the sanctity of life from conception to natural death. The Diocese of Knoxville, led by Bishop Richard F. Stika, has supported the TRL-backed amendment to the Human Life Protection Act.

“Every year, the calls and e-mails from our grassroots supporters make a huge difference, but this year especially these legislators have been overwhelmed by calls and e-mails from our pro-life supporters, and it has truly made a difference,” Mr. Brewer told the women meeting in Nashville. “Thanks to all of you for staying active and engaged.”

Mr. Brewer explained that the TRL-supported amendment to the Human Life Protection Act provides for an objective standard for physicians instead of a subjective standard.

He clarified that in an objective standard, in the event of an abortion to save the mother’s life the standard for determining if the abortion was lawful would be based on what any reasonable doctor would do in that moment, and any expert witness in a judicial review of that case would support the physician’s decision. Conversely, the subjective standard means a physician can make her or his own determination on when abortion is necessary, which would be difficult to prosecute.

He further said the initial amendment to the Human Life Protection Act, which was supported by physicians, a number of influential House Republicans and pro-abortion Democrats, and passed a House subcommittee by an 8-1 vote while opposed by TRL, underwent a transformation because of the overwhelming response by pro-life grassroots supporters.

“Kudos to you all and your e-mails and calls. They only changed this legislation because they heard from their constituents back home,” Mr. Brewer said.

He said lawmakers received some 1,500 e-mails and calls from pro-life supporters in the days after the initial amendment was made public in February.

Mr. Brewer underscored that Tennessee Right to Life has always been willing to clarify the Human Life Protection Act and work with lawmakers on agreed language, but only language that would support the Human Life Protection Act, not hurt it.

“We’ve heard your concerns; we’ve clarified this bill. It does not weaken it. It does not allow any more abortions to occur than are already necessary to save the life of the mother and are being allowed in the current law. We’ve heard your concerns, and we’ve done something about it,” he said.

Mr. Brewer noted that Gov. Bill Lee, who with Lt. Gov. Randy McNally has given unwavering support for the Human Life Protection Act, has announced an unprecedented $100 million grant for crisis pregnancy centers across the state.

“My hope for this year and going forward is we can now focus on adoption, foster care, and crisis pregnancy centers, and all the things that can show love for mothers and their babies. Instead, we’ve gotten mired up in medical and legal technicalities. Thank you to Gov. Lee, who has the bandwidth and opportunity to provide that love and those resources to women and babies,” Mr. Brewer said.

Rep. William Lamberth, who represents Sumner County, addressed Women’s Day on the Hill and held up more than 100 pages of petitions signed by pro-life supporters that lawmakers had received in recent days asking them to not weaken the Human Life Protection Act.

“Every single name on every single page means a lot. And I want you to know that we listen to you all; we get our marching orders from you all. Thank you for the work that you all have done. These signatures matter. This fight matters. Just because Dobbs was decided does not mean our fight is over. It means this is our fight. This is your all’s fight. This is Tennesseans’ fight to keep our bills so that they protect life,” Rep. Lamberth said.

Rep. Debra Moody, who represents Tipton and Haywood counties, joined Sen. Paul Rose, who represents Lauderdale, Shelby, and Tipton counties, in reading a proclamation recognizing and honoring Tennessee’s crisis pregnancy centers and all those who work to support the centers.

Letting their voices be heard

Among those attending Women’s Day on the Hill and visiting their state legislators was a group from St. Thomas the Apostle Church in Lenoir City, St. Joseph the Worker Church in Madisonville, and St. Mary Church in Athens.

The Catholic women weren’t shy about entering lawmakers’ offices and letting their representatives and senators know where they stand.

Penny Manczko, Kay Sheldon, and Nancy Murphy of St. Thomas the Apostle, Lorene Steffes of St. Mary, and Marion Croker of St. Joseph the Worker visited with Lt. Gov. McNally, Rep. Lowell Russell of Monroe County, and Sen. Art Swann, who represents Blount, Monroe, Polk, and part of Bradley counties.

Mrs. Sheldon is a Women’s Day on the Hill veteran.

“This was my fifth time to attend Pro-Life Women’s Day on the Hill. This was the best one yet. There was an impressive attendance of enthusiastic pro-life women. My group had an opportunity to visit three state legislators from our districts. I had corresponded with two of the legislators previously, and they have a 100 percent pro-life voting record. The third legislator assured us that he is pro-life and will vote for the legislation advocated by Tennessee Right to Life. The Lieutenant Governor’s office even called me at home that evening to let me know of a positive committee vote and his continuing support,” Mrs. Sheldon said.

“I feel that the legislators appreciated all the women’s support, and we conveyed to them that a majority of the residents in our area are pro-life,” she pointed out.

Mrs. Manczko, on the other hand, is new to the Nashville event.

“This was my first time attending the event. I enjoyed being around like-minded women of faith with a love of babies. I also liked that we went over to visit our Tennessee elected officials and were able to express either our support or opposition of what is occurring ‘on the Hill’ with regard to our pro-life thoughts,” Mrs. Manczko said.

“I’ve been tracking legislation this year with regard to abortion and submitting correspondence to various legislators since January on either my opposition or support. On the day of the event, most of the work in this 113th session in Nashville was done. So, by the time we went to meet with our representatives on March 21, it was to just say thank you. I’m very disappointed in the various bills submitted this session that would have weakened the best pro-life law in the United States. This is the message I conveyed to many of the legislators these past few months,” she added.

Like Mrs. Manczko, Mrs. Murphy was new to Women’s Day on the Hill. But it was an experience she relished.

“I think it’s extremely important for pro-life women to gather at a formal event like Women’s Day on the Hill for several reasons. First, an in-person visit by a small group of women to their representatives and senators is, in my opinion, just as impactful as a large number of e-mails and phone calls. Secondly, it’s reassuring to see so many, and a variety of women, at an organized event who are like-minded. We have our small groups of active pro-life men and women in our churches, but it seems we are small in number,” Mrs. Murphy said. “Lastly, I think the event was very well organized and executed. It also is very reassuring to know that TRL is willing and able to take on a fight against an adversary that is both organized and very well-funded.”

Mrs. Steffes echoed Mrs. Sheldon’s sentiments.

“What a fantastic event. I have been to other Women’s Day on the Hill events in the past. I think this one was the best yet. Perhaps that is because there was pro-life legislative action on the Hill that day. Because of this, we had very timely and meaningful discussions with the legislators we met. The result of the legislative action that day was pro-life! Perhaps our presence made a positive difference toward keeping Tennessee the ‘gold standard’ for protecting life,” Mrs. Steffes said.

A physician speaks out

Dr. Omar Hamada, a Nashville physician who specializes in obstetrics and gynecology, was the featured speaker at Women’s Day on the Hill.

Dr. Hamada said if enough hearts and minds are changed, all politicians will support the sanctity of human life.

“My friend Charlie Daniels once said a politician wants a vote. And that’s true. And the reason we have so much confusion is we have confusion in the hearts and minds of people. We need the Holy Spirit amongst ourselves,” Dr. Hamada said.

“What an incredible year it’s been. What happened last year we never believed would happen, and we never thought would be possible, because of a case in Mississippi that Roe v. Wade would be overturned, that 50 years of massacring children would end,” Dr. Hamada continued.

He expressed thanks for U.S. Supreme Court justices who defended life in the Dobbs decision.

Dr. Hamada said there are many who will say that late-term abortions rarely, if ever, occur. “And if they do, they’re only from maternal indications and fetal indications to save the mother’s life. We know for a fact that that’s a lie.”

Earlier in his medical career, Dr. Hamada said he was asked to perform an abortion on a 16-year-old girl who was 26 weeks pregnant under the guise that the girl suffered from asthma. He determined the girl did not have asthma, and he refused to perform the abortion.

Another physician did perform the abortion on the young girl and in addition to taking the life of the child, the girl’s kidney and colon were punctured, and she left the hospital with a colostomy and only one kidney.

“It’s an evil practice,” the doctor said, whether late or early in a pregnancy. “I believe that during conception, an individual human is created. It has a soul and a spirit, and is created in the image of God, whether it’s five days old in utero or whether it’s 40 weeks and about to come out. It doesn’t matter,” said Dr. Hamada, who also spoke about his service in the U.S. military, serving in Afghanistan.

“We are in a world at war. We don’t realize it until we do realize it. There is much evil in this world. And many times we ask God, ‘Where are you, God?’ We are constantly shouted down in society today as they try to shut us up because of our stances, because of what we believe in, because of our fight for life,” Dr. Hamada said.

“And it’s not just about life. It’s all this other craziness that we’re hit with, whether it’s gender confusion or all the other. The Lord has blessed us with people who are standing in the gap, with people, many of them here in this room, who are brave, who are courageous. But it’s not just up to them. It’s up to each one of us to stand up and say, ‘I don’t fear anything anymore because the Lord has my back. The Lord is with me,’” he added.

“Here is the real thing … where is our faith? Is it in our money? Is it in our family? Is it in our friends? No. It is in Christ. I challenge you today to try to put all of that (fear of loss) behind you. Don’t be afraid. Be strong and of good courage, and stand up for what you know is right, and let the Lord have your back,” he said. “The devil is alive and well. And we were born into a world at war. This is all spiritual warfare. This isn’t anything that the Democrats are doing. It’s not what the liberals are doing or what the pro-choice are doing. This is a demonic attack on God’s creation. And it’s been going on way before we got here as humans, way before the creation of the world.

“We rely on Christ. Our lives ultimately matter only for the sake of His kingdom. Whether we are legislators, whether we are moms and dads, whether we are bankers or attorneys, whether we are doctors or servers or telephone operators, it doesn’t matter. People wonder all the time, ‘Why am I here.’ You are here to serve His kingdom. You are here to fight for His kingdom.”

“We are honored to join Christ in the spiritual battle of the ages. That’s what we are involved in. We don’t have the time or the luxury to be silent. We don’t have the time or luxury to say, ‘Let somebody else do it.’ We don’t have the time or luxury of saying ‘Maybe it will pass.’ … I encourage you to get all of our heads and hearts right. We’re here for one purpose, and that is to advance the kingdom of Jesus Christ in whatever we do. Be strong and of good courage. Be brave,” Dr. Hamada concluded.