Nashville council approves abortion-related change to 'Do Better Bill'
Nashville will now require companies seeking incentive grants to report whether their employee health care coverage includes costs for out-of-state medical treatment not available in an employee's home state, including abortion.
Metro Council passed the ordinance unanimously Tuesday.
The ordinance amends the 2017 "Do Better Bill," which requires companies seeking economic and community development incentive grants and payment in lieu of taxes incentives to report information on jobs the company will create and past workplace safety violations.
The council separately advanced a bill Tuesday that would bar the use of license plate reader data for assisting with enforcement of laws outlawing abortion or interstate travel to obtain abortion. Councilmembers will consider that bill on its third and final reading in early September.
These are the latest in a string of incremental moves by the council aimed at reducing harm to any Nashvillian who "chooses to explore any reproductive rights options" in light of Tennessee's impending abortion ban.
The council condemned the U.S. Supreme Court's reversal of Roe v. Wade last month in a resolution encouraging Nashville police to deprioritize enforcement and arrests, and requesting city funds and staff not be used to investigate abortion-related cases.
A separate resolution supported health coverage for Metro employees who travel out of state for medical procedures not available in Tennessee, including abortions.
Any Metro legislation must work within the bounds of state law.
A Tennessee law banning all abortions in the state will go into effect on Aug. 25.
Metro Law Director Wallace Dietz said the state statute is riddled with "maddening" gray areas during a forum last week discussing Nashville's future after Roe v. Wade's overturn.
The law prohibits all abortions with no exceptions for rape, incest or for victims of child sexual abuse. It criminalizes providers of abortion care, providing an "affirmative defense" in limited cases for providers — but only after they are criminally charged.
Even those who passed the legislation "would be surprised at how dangerous this bill is," Dietz said. "I don't believe they fully understand just what a nightmare this bill is going to cause in Tennessee in two weeks."
Cassandra Stephenson covers Metro government for The Tennessean. Reach her at ckstephenson@tennessean.com. Follow Cassandra on Twitter at @CStephenson731.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville council approves abortion-related change to 'Do Better Bill'
