Ky. lawmakers forward bill that would ban abortions after 15 weeks

FRANKFORT, Ky. (WKYT) - A Senate bill that would ban abortions after 15 weeks in Kentucky is moving forward in the legislature.

A senate committee approved Senate Bill 321 Thursday morning. SB 321 bans abortions in Kentucky after 15 weeks.

Sponsors of SB 321 say it closely models the Mississippi abortion bill that’s currently before the Supreme Court. They told lawmakers if the Supreme Court upholds the Mississippi bill, SB 321 would already be in place to take effect in Kentucky.

Representatives from the Kentucky Family Foundation and pro-life organizations spoke in support of the bill. They argued the unborn child should have a right to life.

A resident ObGyn, a woman from Louisville, and representatives from Planned Parenthood Kentuckian and the ACLU opposed it. They told lawmakers that women should have the right to decide their bodies with their physicians. They also explained that having outlawing abortion would not prevent abortions from happening.

There was a heated debate during Thursday’s committee meeting contained heated debate about when a fetus is viable outside of the womb. There was also a discussion of how an unplanned pregnancy and limited finances can impact a woman’s future.

SB 321 passed out of committee in an 8 to 2 vote. It now goes to the full Senate.

In 2019, Kentucky passed the fetal heartbeat bill, which prohibits an abortion if a fetal heartbeat is detected. The ACLU filed suit to challenge it and a federal judge blocked enforcement until the final ruling in district court.