FRANKFORT, Ky. — Kentucky Republicans are putting together an omnibus bill on abortion, meaning they want to address several topics like abortions for minors, chemical abortion, and what to do with fetal remains.
What You Need To Know
- Kentucky Republicans plan to pursue a bill to limit abortions in Kentucky during the next General Assembly
- The bill deals with several areas, including abortions for minors, drug-induced abortions, and fetal remains
- Another facet allows a health care provider to deny a procedure or service if it “violates their conscience”
- Supporters plan to move quickly on the bill when the new session starts in January
Rep. Nancy Tate (R-Bradenburg) is the bill’s main sponsor and said it’s all about protecting unborn children.
“We want to make sure people are aware, and I’m quite aware, that the baby’s life is important, too,” she said following an interim committee meeting Wednesday.
The bill, which hasn’t been filed yet, would make it tougher for minors to get an abortion by adding more requirements for parental consent and limiting what a judge can do to intervene.
“In the schools, we don’t even want our children taking aspirin without their parental consent,” Tate said. “And yet, we want to make sure that the children had their parental consent before, again, they have such a life-altering medical decision.”
More about the proposal can be found here.
One facet would also put more rules in place to track the remains of a fetus in the case of abortions or miscarriages.
That issue is personal for Tate. She said she’s had three miscarriages in the past.
“And what I didn’t realize — I was a very young person and I didn’t realize at the time that, you know, what’s going to happen to my baby?” she said. “And to this day, I still don’t know.”
The proposal also puts several limits on drug-induced abortions, and allows health care providers to deny service if they feel it violates their conscience.
During Wednesday’s committee meeting, some Democrats expressed concern about the bill— along with Tamarra Wieder with Planned Parenthood.
“It is just further introducing hurdles, making it harder for people to access care, and especially harder for those that are most vulnerable,” she said.
No actual bill has been filed yet, and Tate said she didn’t want to provide an early copy to Spectrum News or Kentucky Democrats.
Supporters of the bill say they expect act quickly on it once session starts in January 2022.