NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A federal appeals court says Tennessee must continue allowing abortions amid a temporary ban on nonessential medical procedures during the COVID-19 outbreak.
The ruling follows a U.S. District judge’s order last week that abortions could proceed during the pandemic.
The Sixth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals issued its opinion Friday. The justices wrote that courts must give governments flexibility to respond to a crisis but that does not include “abdicating responsibility, especially when well-established constitutional rights are at stake."
The state had argued that abortions should be included in Gov. Bill Lee's ban on non-emergency procedures.
