Republican state-Rep. Jody Barrett wants to change a law in Tennessee. The suggestion is to treat abortion as criminal homicide, he says

The Tennessee lawmaker has proposed a highly controversial change to the law that has sent shockwaves across the country. Republican state Rep. Jody Barrett wants to add language to a state bill that could make women who get abortions face homicide charges, as reported by WTVF.

In Tennessee, homicide can carry life in prison or even the death penalty. Still, Jody Barrett says his goal is not to punish women.

“I think that’s a talking point saying that you’re targeting mothers. We’re not targeting mothers,” Barrett said. “We’re targeting unborn children and trying to protect them and give them the protection under the law for you and me.”

The proposal would treat ending a pregnancy the same as killing another person under state law. Because Tennessee still has the death penalty, that means — in theory — someone could be put to death if convicted. But Barrett says that is unlikely.

Want to treat abortion as criminal homicide

“A simple examination of the death penalty in Tennessee would show that that’s just not realistic. Now, do I have to admit that the death penalty is a possibility? Sure. But … only 16 have actually been executed — none of them women,” Barrett said.

Barrett’s plans are tied to House Bill 570, a bill about a monument to unborn children. The amendment hasn’t been officially filed yet.

However, a state Senator connected to the bill in the Senate, Mark Pody, told the local newspaper, Nashville Banner, that he doesn’t think the proposal has enough support to pass.

Tennessee already has among the strictest abortion laws in the country that even punish doctors who perform the procedure. This new idea would take things much further by changing how the law treats women who choose abortion.

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