By KIMBERLEE KRUESI and JONATHAN MATTISE (Associated Press)
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee is on track to become the latest state to require public school students to watch a video about fetal development that is made by an anti-abortion group, or something similar, under a new law that is on its way to Republican Gov. Bill Lee’s desk.
The legislation was passed by the Republican-led Senate on Thursday, with all five Democrats present and one Republican voting against it.
The Senate rejected several amendments proposed by Democrats: to give parents the option to exempt their children from watching the video; to allow school districts to decide whether to show it; to include a statement that it is scientifically inaccurate political propaganda; and to permit schools to teach comprehensive sex education.
Democratic Sen. Heidi Campbell criticized the “cutesy, shiny, pink video” as being overly simplistic and disrespectful to reproductive health. She said it was offensive to women and the medical field.
The bill’s sponsor, Republican Sen. Janice Bowling, argued that the video is factual.
Bowling said, “The video demonstrates conception and is an AI-type of film, but it accurately depicts the medical aspects. It portrays the moment when the sperm meets the egg, which is the start of life.”
Similar proposals have emerged in Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, and West Virginia this year and are backed by Live Action, an anti-abortion organization. North Dakota was the first state to implement this idea last year.
Live Action has been encouraging states to use their three-minute animation in classrooms, which they claim helps visualize the development of a fetus in the womb. The video refers to the fetus as Baby Olivia.
The video shows the fertilization and implantation of an egg, as well as the subsequent embryonic and fetal developments during pregnancy. A voiceover introduces viewers to Olivia and shows an illustration of a fully developed baby in the womb. Olivia’s mouth and eyes open and close, and her hands move.
“Although she has yet to enter the outside world, she has already completed an incredible journey,” the narrator says.
However, the video has received criticism from some educators and physicians, who argue that it is misleading and inappropriate for a young audience. Moreover, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, a professional organization with over 60,000 members, has stated that the video is anti-abortion misinformation intended to manipulate viewers' emotions.
Live Action claims that the video was created in consultation with doctors.
Under the Tennessee law, public schools would have the choice to show a different video. However, the law includes strict criteria that the alternative video must be at least three minutes long and must feature “a high-quality, computer-generated animation or high-definition ultrasound” showing “the development of the brain, heart, sex organs, and other vital organs in early fetal development.” It is unclear how many other organizations offer similar alternatives.
The bill requires the video to be included in a school’s family life curriculum.
Democrats argued that making the video necessary contradicts Republicans’ focus on parental choice in education.
Democratic Sen. Charlane Oliver said she has heard many members in the government talk about school and parent choice, but it seems to only convenient when it fits a certain political ideology.
Although Lee hasn’t publicly expressed his opinion on the legislation, it’s likely to get the Republican’s approval. The governor has never rejected a bill since taking office in 2019 and he has repeatedly emphasized his opposition to abortion. Under his administration, Lee enacted a broad abortion ban that went into effect shortly after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022 and approved sending more tax dollars to anti-abortion organizations often known as crisis pregnancy centers.
The Baby Olivia legislation has not progressed as much in other states as in Tennessee. West Virginia’s Senate approved the measure in February specifically for eighth and twelfth graders, but the Assembly adjourned before it could pass the House of Delegates.
In Iowa, lawmakers are discussing whether to remove specific references to the Baby Olivia video and instead require any video showing the “humanity of the unborn child.” Meanwhile, the bill has not moved forward in Kentucky and Missouri.
