Women wouldn’t be able to get abortions if they are more than 20 weeks pregnant under a bill proposed in the Kentucky Senate Tuesday. The legislation has a good chance of passing the Republican-led General Assembly.
Senate President Robert Stivers said that the bill would protect unborn fetuses because they don’t get to decide whether to go forth with an abortion.
“There is at this point in time two viable beings in this decision. One had a choice early on to make a decision to conceive or not conceive. But once conception starts there becomes another life involved. And the legislature has its ability to control how that life may proceed or how it may be terminated,” Stivers said.
The legislation would punish abortion providers that conduct abortions past 20 weeks in a pregnancy. It would exempt victims of rape, incest and when the mother’s health is in danger.
Kate Miller, advocacy director for the ACLU of Kentucky, said that the decision of whether to have an abortion needs to be made by women for themselves, not lawmakers.
“Ultimately we’re not in the shoes of somebody making that decision, we don’t understand the circumstances of where someone’s coming from. And so we’re really not in the best position to make that type of decision for someone else.”
Republicans in the state Senate have for years proposed anti-abortion bills that were thwarted by the state House, which used to be controlled by Democrats.
With Republicans enjoying supermajorities in both chambers this year, newly-installed House Speaker Jeff Hoover said there would be “overwhelming support” to pass the legislation if it comes to his chamber.
Also this session, House Republicans have proposed requiring women seeking an abortion to view a sonogram image of their fetus before going through with the procedure—a measure that passed the state Senate last year.
This story has been updated.
