Republican legislators are swinging hammers at Tennessee’s abortion ban—and calling it compassion. HB0533 exposes the truth: having an R after your name doesn’t make you conservative. This bill is a Trojan horse, and real conservatives know it.
By TruthWire News | April 2025
Corrected: Rep Michelle Reneau replaced former Rep Patsy Hazelwood.
A group of conservative Tennessee lawmakers is calling on Governor Bill Lee to veto HB0533, warning that the bill—packaged as the "Fertility Treatment and Contraceptive Protection Act"—is a Trojan horse that undermines the state’s hard-won abortion ban.
Though presented as legislation merely to safeguard access to IVF and contraception, HB0533 creates broad and loosely defined rights to fertility treatments and emergency contraception, all while being introduced under the guise of a monument maintenance caption bill. It has now passed both chambers with support from every Democrat, Planned Parenthood, and the ACLU—a coalition that raises red flags for pro-life advocates.
A Post-Roe Shift: The Real Agenda Behind HB0533
Tennessee’s 2019 Human Life Protection Act was a bold move. At the time, most legislators didn’t expect Roe to fall. But when it did, the full abortion ban became law—leaving no exceptions for rape, incest, or vague medical claims. Almost immediately, Republican lawmakers including Rep. Iris Rudder and Rep. Esther Helton-Haynes, backed by Sen. Richard Briggs, began seeking ways to weaken it.
They introduced legislation to create exceptions and erode the law’s teeth. That effort was halted in 2023 after Tennessee Right To Life and Tennessee Stands mobilized grassroots pressure. Now, with HB0533, they are trying again—this time through backdoor legal definitions and broad statutory language.
What HB0533 Really Does
The bill enshrines a right to receive or perform:
- IVF and assisted reproductive technology
- The storage, manipulation, and disposal of embryos
- Contraceptives, including emergency contraceptives like Plan B
While sounding harmless to the casual observer, critics argue this bill opens up dangerous legal gray areas. Here’s why:
The Problems:
1. Emergency Contraception Loophole: The bill explicitly includes emergency contraceptives, which are known to have abortifacient effects if taken after fertilization. The inclusion of these products could be used to chip away at protections for unborn life.
2. Destruction of Embryos: IVF often results in the creation of more embryos than are implanted. The excess embryos are frozen, destroyed, or donated for research. Under a consistent pro-life ethic, these are human lives being terminated outside the womb.
3. Fetal Reduction Procedures: When IVF results in multiple implanted embryos, doctors often perform "fetal reduction" to decrease risks to the mother. This selective abortion undermines Tennessee’s commitment to protecting all unborn life.
4. Intentionally Broad Language: Despite attempts by Reps. Bulso, Cepicky, and Lamberth to tighten the language through amendments—including clarification that abortifacients are excluded—the final bill still enshrines loosely-defined rights that could be exploited through litigation.
5. It Was a Caption Bill: Originally, this legislation had nothing to do with IVF or contraceptives. It was filed under a caption for "monument maintenance." Only later did the substance emerge—a classic move to reduce early opposition.
Conservatives Draw a Line
In a letter to Governor Lee, Rep. Chris Todd, joined by Reps. Monty Fritts, Michelle Reneau, Scott Cepicky, Jody Barrett, and Tim Hill, pleaded for a veto:
"If we, as a government, authorize the slaughter of even one innocent life, God will judge us collectively."
They argue the bill is a solution in search of a problem. Tennessee currently has no law restricting IVF or contraception, and no imminent threat to those procedures. So why legislate it now?
Republican vs. Conservative
It’s moments like these that expose the growing divide in the GOP. Every Democrat voted for the bill. So did many Republicans. But conservatives—those grounded in consistent pro-life convictions—are sounding the alarm.
You can’t call yourself pro-life while supporting legislation that implicitly endorses embryonic destruction. And you certainly can’t claim to be a conservative while carrying a bill for the ACLU and Planned Parenthood.
If you write or vote for legislation like HB0533 and pretend it’s just about protecting IVF access, you are being intellectually dishonest at best.
Tennessee didn’t fight to overturn Roe just to sneak abortion back in through the side door.
Final Word
HB0533 is not just bad policy—it’s deceptive policy. Governor Lee now holds the pen. What he does next will determine whether Tennessee continues to lead the nation in defending life—or quietly allows its foundation to be eroded from within.
Given the potential implications of HB0533, it's imperative for Governor Bill Lee to consider the concerns raised by conservative legislators and pro-life advocates. They urge the Governor to veto the bill to maintain the integrity of Tennessee's commitment to protecting unborn life.
To express your views on HB0533, you can contact Governor Bill Lee's office: Phone: 615-741-2001, or click this link.
The grassroots are watching. And election season is just around the bend.
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