Kentucky lawmakers are taking steps to ensure that unborn babies are protected in their state if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade.
The 1973 case crippled states’ ability to protect unborn babies, but many have renewed hope that the infamous abortion ruling will be overturned someday. When that happens, abortions will not immediately become illegal. Instead, states will have to take action to protect unborn babies once again.
In anticipation of that day, the Kentucky House Judiciary Committee approved a bill Wednesday to ban abortions if Roe is overturned, the AP reports.
State House Bill 148, or the Human Life Protection Act, would make it a felony to perform an abortion in any case except when the mother’s life is at risk. State Rep. Joe Fischer is the lead sponsor.
“If you restore our authority, we will protect every unborn child in this commonwealth,” Fischer said during the meeting, WDRB News reports.
He also has high hopes that the legislation will pass.
“We think that this reflects the values of Kentucky, and I think it will get overwhelming support,” he said.
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However, Planned Parenthood and the ACLU already are attacking the bill with claims that it will put women at risk, according to the report. Their pro-abortion lobbyists attended the meeting Wednesday to criticize the legislation.
While some states like New York are passing radical pro-abortion laws, others like Kentucky are working hard to protect the unborn. State lawmakers also are considering a bill to prohibit abortions after an unborn baby’s heartbeat is detectable this winter. Meanwhile, lawmakers in Arkansas are considering a similar bill that would ban abortions when Roe v. Wade is overturned.
The Supreme Court took away states’ ability to protect unborn babies from abortion before viability, and, under Roe, allowed abortion on demand through all nine months of pregnancy. Roe and its companion case, Doe v. Bolton, made the United States one of only seven countries in the world that allows elective abortions after 20 weeks, a fact confirmed by the Washington Post fact checker.
More than 60 million unborn babies have been aborted since 1973 in America.
Pro-life advocates hope the new conservative U.S. Supreme Court will reverse the pro-abortion ruling and allow states to restrict or outlaw the killing of the unborn. But even if it does, many states still will allow abortions.
About a dozen states have laws in place that immediately would protect the unborn when Roe is overturned. Legal scholars give different estimates, though. In 2017, the abortion advocacy group NARAL predicted that 13 states immediately would ban abortions if the high court overturns Roe. Last year, the Center for Reproductive Rights put their estimate at 22 states.
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Author: Micaiah Bilger
