The Courier-Journal (Louisville)
New legislation must repeal cruel Ky. abortion ban
There have been so many heartbreaking stories of pregnant women seriously harmed since Roe v. Wade was overturned in June 2022. Today in Kentucky, abortion is banned in all cases– zero exceptions except for the life of the pregnant person. Heather Maberry of Stanton, Kentucky knows the cruelty of Kentucky’s ban well. She was nearly five months pregnant when she learned her baby was missing parts of her brain and wouldn’t survive. But Kentucky’s restrictive law meant she had to leave the state for abortion care.
Kentucky legislators have become architects of intentional suffering through their relentless anti-abortion policies. As we witness the denial of care to rape survivors, cancer patients and people like Heather, the cruelty of these laws becomes increasingly difficult for extremists to deny.
Legislation to protect abortion is underway
Last week, Rep. Lindsey Burke of Lexington filed legislation to protect abortion. The North Star Bill, HB 428, would restore abortion access here in Kentucky. The Shield Bill, HB 429, formalizes legal protections for those who must travel to other states to get needed care. HB 430 addresses the epidemic of maternal mortality in Kentucky by including information about postpartum depression and anxiety in the HANDS program that serves many Kentucky families.
“Whether it is a fatal fetal anomaly, a non-viable pregnancy, rape or any reason, Kentucky women deserve compassionate and accessible medical care— care that was available for the majority of my lifetime but now is unavailable in Kentucky,” said Rep. Burke during her announcement of the pro-abortion policies.
Abortion bans are harmful and dangerous
In talking with pregnant people across Kentucky, Burke heard stories of grief, anger and heartache. And she shared her story. While she was pregnant with twins one of them was diagnosed with multiple fatal fetal anomalies. To save the other baby, she needed a “selective reduction” abortion, but legal restrictions here meant that specialized care was no longer available. Burke had to go out of state to receive the care.
There are so many more stories like these.
Kentucky’s total ban places the health and well-being of more than 1 million Kentuckians who can become pregnant in harm’s way. In fact, giving birth is more dangerous than nearly every job in the United States, and it’s three times more dangerous for Black women.
Statistics reveal a stark reality— bringing a child into the world poses greater risks than some of the most dangerous occupations. If you compare the mortality rate of police officers and the maternal mortality rate for Black women: A police officer would need to spend 3 years and 7 months in the field to face the risk equivalent to that of a Black woman giving birth to one child.
Republican legislators in Kentucky would have voters believe they couldn’t have foreseen the consequences of restricting care. Don’t be deceived. After years of enacting restrictions, including a “trigger ban,” a “6-week ban,” and culminating in their omnibus anti-abortion law months before Roe was overturned, it has long been clear that cruelty was the point.
Years of relentless assaults on human dignity have taken a toll on all of us. Just trying to keep up with them is exhausting and there is a great temptation to think “there’s nothing I can do, it’s hopeless.”
Abortion bans are infuriating but not hopeless
As Kentuckians continue to live through the consequences of these heinous anti-abortion bans, we will remember when we go to the polls who is responsible.
People in Kentucky and around the country are standing up against these regressive measures. Kentuckians defeated Amendment 2 in 2022, and Gov. Andy Beshear was just re-elected while campaigning to support abortion access. He’s not alone. Every ballot that has included abortion has been victorious.
As Kentuckians continue to live through the consequences of these heinous anti-abortion bans, we will remember when we go to the polls who is responsible.
Don’t wait until November. Make your voice heard today by calling your local legislators and let them know: “Repeal the bans or be repealed.”
Kim Greene is a Louisville attorney and a board member of Planned Parenthood Great Northwest, Hawai’i, Alaska, Indiana, Kentucky.