Tenn. senate leader won’t support Texas-style abortion bill

By KIMBERLEE KRUESI
Associated Press

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee’s Senate Speaker Randy McNally says he doesn’t support legislation that would ban abortions and allow almost anyone to file civil lawsuits against violators and collect damages. Earlier this week, Tennessee became the latest GOP-led state to introduce legislation mimicking a law currently enacted in Texas law and its novel citizen-enforcement provision. To date, only Idaho’s GOP-controlled Statehouse has sent a copy-cat version of the Texas law to the state’s governor for approval. Efforts to pass similar bills in Florida, South Dakota and Arkansas have so far stalled while other anti-abortion restrictions have advanced.