The Kentucky Legislature is furiously at work attempting to undermine Roe v. Wade and restrict access to safe and legal abortion for women in Kentucky.
Three bills, SB 9, HB 5 and HB 148, are each religion-based attempts to limit abortion access and are currently being considered by various legislative committees.
SB 9, in the House Rules Committee, is a “fetal heartbeat” bill that would outlaw performing abortion before most people even know they are pregnant, functionally outlawing abortion altogether.
HB 5, in the Senate Veterans, Military Affairs, & Public Protection Committee after passing in the House, would make it a felony for a doctor to perform an abortion if they feel their patient is ending the pregnancy because of the fetus’ sex, race or disability. Critics rightfully point out that this is a smoke-and-mirrors attempt to restrict abortion access without actually increasing resources or social services for people who give birth to children with disabilities. Additionally, laws like this encourage patients to lie to their doctors, according to Dr. Nicole Nolan, an OB-GYN at the University of Louisville.
Finally, HB 148 is what is commonly referred to as a “trigger law” and would completely outlaw abortion in the state of Kentucky should the U.S. Supreme Court overturn Roe v. Wade, sending the issue back to states to legislate. Given the new majority of anti-choice male Catholics on the Supreme Court, this is a more serious threat now than ever before.
Please contact your Kentucky representatives and urge them to reject religious dogma and protect safe, legal abortion in Kentucky. Please use our simple, automated system to get connected to your state legislators and ensure that they strike down these bills, and any others that use religion-based defenses to undermine abortion access in your state.
