Dobbs ruling spurs another legal battle

New restrictions on abortions in Tennessee could go into effect as early as this week.

• The state already has a "trigger law" that will ban nearly all abortions 30 days after the Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade.
• But Tennessee attorney general Herbert Slatery III is fighting to limit abortion access in the meantime.

Driving the news: Slatery filed an emergency motion Friday asking a federal appeals court to lift an injunction on a Tennessee law that would ban abortions after a fetal heartbeat can be detected, usually about six weeks into gestation.

Flashback: Lawmakers initially passed the six-week ban in 2020, but it was blocked pending a legal challenge from abortion providers.

State of play: Slatery's office argues the ruling overturning Roe should neutralize that legal challenge and clear the way for the six-week ban to take effect immediately.

• The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals set a schedule for both sides to expand on their arguments in filings due Monday.

The bottom line: Whether or not the six-week ban takes effect, the stricter trigger ban is imminent.

• Local Planned Parenthood staff is already helping patients navigate their out-of-state options for abortions, per WPLN.