Tennessee Lawmaker Blocks Testimony on Maternal Health Bill

A Planned Parenthood organizer was denied the chance to speak about a bill that could have prevented a woman from being denied prenatal care.

Mar. 30, 2026 at 9:04am

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

A quiet, cinematic painting of an empty state legislative chamber with a single chair at the center, bathed in warm, diagonal sunlight and deep shadows, conceptually representing the silencing of a constituent's voice on a maternal health issue.The closed doors of a state legislative chamber symbolize the silencing of a constituent's voice on a critical maternal health issue.Knoxville Today

A Planned Parenthood organizer from Knoxville traveled to Nashville to testify in support of a bill that would have protected pregnant patients from being turned away when seeking maternal health care. However, the subcommittee chair, Rep. Michele Carringer, cleared the public from the meeting and silenced the organizer's testimony, despite the organizer's previous positive interactions with the lawmaker.

Why it matters

Tennessee leads the nation in maternal mortality, and this incident highlights a troubling pattern of pregnant women being denied access to the health care they deserve. The blocked testimony prevented lawmakers from hearing directly from constituents about the real-life consequences of this issue.

The details

The organizer wanted to speak in support of HB 2523, the Maternal Healthcare Protection Act, which would have helped ensure that what happened to a woman named Brittany would not happen to another Tennessee mother. Brittany was denied prenatal care by a doctor who disapproved of the fact that she was unmarried, despite being with her partner for 15 years. Brittany later experienced a silent miscarriage while searching for an OB-GYN who would provide care.

  • The organizer traveled from Knoxville to Nashville last week to testify in the subcommittee meeting.
  • The Maternal Healthcare Protection Act, HB 2523, was set to be heard in the subcommittee chaired by Rep. Carringer.

The players

Makaela Webb

A Planned Parenthood organizer from Knoxville who wanted to testify in support of the Maternal Healthcare Protection Act.

Rep. Michele Carringer

The subcommittee chair who cleared the public from the meeting and silenced the organizer's testimony.

Brittany

A Jonesborough woman who was denied prenatal care by a doctor who disapproved of the fact that she was unmarried, despite being with her partner for 15 years. Brittany later experienced a silent miscarriage while searching for an OB-GYN who would provide care.

HB 2523

The Maternal Healthcare Protection Act, a bill that would have helped ensure that what happened to Brittany would not happen to another Tennessee mother.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“Stories like Brittany's are why I wanted to do something. I traveled from Knoxville to Nashville last week to testify in support of HB 2523, the Maternal Healthcare Protection Act, because I wanted lawmakers to understand what's happening, and support a simple bill to fix it. I wanted to speak for Brittany and for other Tennessee women who deserve timely, unbiased maternal health care.”

— Makaela Webb, Planned Parenthood organizer

What’s next

The sponsor of the Maternal Health Act had a chance to read the organizer's testimony and share Brittany's story, but lawmakers questioned whether Brittany's story was even true and never bothered to look into it. The bill did not move forward.

The takeaway

This incident highlights the challenges faced by pregnant women in Tennessee in accessing the maternal health care they need, as well as the barriers to constituent engagement and transparency in the legislative process. It underscores the importance of ensuring that lawmakers hear directly from the people impacted by their decisions.