By KIMBERLEE KRUESI and JONATHAN MATTISE

Associated Press

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee says he wants to enact some of the strictest abortion laws in the nation, which would include banning women from undergoing the procedure once a fetal heartbeat is detected.

The Republican governor made the announcement Thursday surrounded by dozens of GOP state lawmakers, many of whom are up for reelection later this year.

“We’re taking a monumental step forward in celebrating, cherishing and defending life,” Lee said. “I’m proud to be joined by members of the General Assembly who have helped lead the way in this important effort.”

Lee said he will soon introduce legislation that will ban most abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detected — about six weeks into pregnancy, before many women know they’re pregnant. Similar legislation has been enacted in other states, such as Mississippi and Georgia, but has been blocked by legal challenges.

Supporters of the bills want to bring these types of lawsuits to an increasingly conservative U.S. Supreme Court in hopes of ending the constitutional right to abortion.

Last year, a proposed heartbeat ban failed in Tennessee. Key abortion foes inside the GOP-dominant Statehouse were wary after courts struck down prior abortion restrictions in other states.

Senate Speaker Randy McNally was among those who worried last year about the courts’ response to the tighter restrictions, but on Thursday, his stance had flipped.

McNally said he believes the governor’s bill will be more legally sound than the one introduced in 2019.

Lee said he also intends to ban abortion for women seeking to end their pregnancies because of the gender, race or disability of the fetus. Finally, Lee said he wants to require women seeking an abortion to be shown an ultrasound of the fetus before they can receive the procedure.

Specific details about the proposals, however, remain largely unknown. Lee unveiled his plans while acknowledging the anti-abortion proposals were still being drafted and had not yet been finalized.

Lee’s announcement sparked immediate opposition from Democrats and abortion rights supporters.

The proposal would be “blatantly unconstitutional,” said Francie Hunt, executive director of Tennessee Advocates for Planned Parenthood.

“I’m so blown away by the intent behind it, which is basically a power grab over our bodies,” Hunt said.