MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WMOT) -- The mid-state chapter of Planned Parenthood says its deep into planning for new state restrictions on abortions that go into effect the end of the month.
Planned Parenthood’s Steven Emmerit says the Nashville facility has been a licensed surgical center for years, so new requirements for advanced medical capabilities won’t be a problem.
But Emmerit notes that about a third of the women who have abortions performed in the mid-state each year live outside the metro area and so will find a required mandatory counseling and a waiting period costly.
“We have patients who have difficulty getting enough money for gas to get here once, and now they have to do it twice. Many of our patients work an hourly wage job where there isn’t any sick or vacation time as part of a benefits package, so they’re losing out on their income, and now they’ve got to find daycare twice.”
Emmerit says the Nashville facility performs about 3,000 abortions annualy.
New abortion regulations passed by state legislators earlier this year go into effect July 1.