A bill banning dismemberment abortions is on its way to the Kentucky governor’s desk for signing, marking yet another step in a several-week streak of life-affirming state legislation.
The bill banning D&E abortions passed the Kentucky Senate 31-5, then flew through the House in a 75-13 vote Tuesday. The bill is now headed to the desk of Republican Gov. Matt Bevin, a strong pro-lifer who has already signed a state bill banning abortions after 20 weeks.
The Lexington Herald Leader reports D&E abortions made up 537 of the 3,312 abortions – roughly 16 percent – performed in the state in 2016, according to state records.
According to Live Action, which hailed the bill’s passage as a major success for pro-lifers, dismemberment abortions are usually performed between 13 and 24 weeks of pregnancy.
The bill was sponsored by Rep. Addia Wuchner, a female legislator representing Burlington.
The new Kentucky bill comes just days after Mississippi passed a law banning all abortions after 15 weeks – a measure that’s been, unsurprisingly, temporarily blocked by a federal judge.
Indiana enacted a new law this week requiring doctors to report abortion complications to the state.
Ohio recently passed a law banning elective abortions done for the sole purpose of terminating a child with Down syndrome – another law that was temporarily blocked by a federal judge. Now, the state legislature is considering an outright ban on all abortions.