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For more than two decades, the number of newborns legally surrendered by their mothers each year under Tennessee’s no-questions-asked Safe Haven law has remained small but steady.
Now that abortion has been outlawed in Tennessee — and as lawmakers this year weigh new legislation punishing those who aid minor children seeking abortions out of state — some elected officials and advocates are pushing for an expansion of the state’s safe haven resources, saying they anticipate the number of surrendered newborn babies to rise.
I think this is another tool to help mothers in distress. Unfortunately we’re living in a society where a baby box is the only option.
– Rep. Ed Butler, R-Rickman
Rep. Ed Butler, R-Rickman, has proposed legislation allocating $2 million to help ensure each Tennessee county has a so-called “baby box,” an insulated pull-out drawer installed in the exterior walls of police stations and fire houses that allows a new mother to safely and anonymously leave her newborn. The devices come equipped with alarms that alert those inside to retrieve the baby within minutes.