In January, Republicans introduced a bill that would require abortionists to test for and document fetal heartbeats before abortion, and if one is found they would be barred from committing the abortion except in medical emergencies. Preborn babies' hearts finish forming around seven or eight weeks into pregnancy.

The bill passed the House by a vote of 65 to 21 Thursday, the Nashville Tennessean reports.

"Colleagues, we cannot continue to allow the slaughter of the unborn while we hope for better circumstances," said Republican state Rep. Micah Van Huss, the bill's sponsor. State Rep. Matthew Hill, another Republican, agreed that the legislation was "long overdue" and "not overly complicated."

"We have a responsibility as the representatives of our districts, of our citizens, to ensure that life, innocent life, is protected in all its stages," argued Hill, who had the bill amended to include language ensuring the state's current 20-week abortion ban would remain in place if the heartbeat language is struck down. "We will be able to inject some common sense into our code."

Heartbeat bills ban abortion far earlier than the "viability" limit set by Roe v. Wade, which some Republicans see as a sign to turn back and others relish as a chance to make the Supreme Court reconsider the 1973 ruling. Tennessee lawmakers are also considering legislation that would automatically ban abortion after Roe is overturned, and Republican Gov. Bill Lee has said he "would support any bill that reduces the number of abortions in the state."

To reach Lee's desk, however, the heartbeat bill first has to clear the state Senate, where... Subscribe for free to Breaking Christian News here

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