The Supreme Court of Kentucky blocked the state Attorney General’s bid to institute a sweeping abortion ban following a ruling by the United States Supreme Court.
The new ruling will only bar the state from taking action temporarily as a lower court hears a case involving the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
Last week the ACLU filed a lawsuit in the state on behalf of abortion providers alleging that the new laws were forcing women to “remain pregnant against their will.”
As a result of the lawsuit being filed, Jefferson County Circuit Court Judge Mitch Perry issued a temporary restraining order on both the abortion ban as well as a second law that makes abortion illegal after 6 weeks, known as a fetal heartbeat law.
The ruling by the Kentucky Supreme Court will allow Kentucky abortion providers to continue operating in the state while the lawsuit makes it way through the court system.
Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron spoke out against the Court’s decision, saying, “The Supreme Court’s decision to continue delaying enforcement of Kentucky’s Human Life Protection Act and Heartbeat Law is disappointing.”
AG Cameron added, “We will not be deterred in defending these important laws, and our team will make a strong case tomorrow in Jefferson Circuit Court to have the laws reinstated.”
Kentucky is one of 13 states affected by trigger laws, which are laws that had been passed in the past to ban abortion but had been voided by the previous Roe v Wade ruling. When the Supreme Court of the United States reversed Roe v Wade, these laws automatically “triggered” and went into affect.
The end of Roe-era abortion protections means that abortion is no longer considered a constitutional right in the United States. The SCOTUS ruling did not ban abortion, instead leaving the decision on how to proceed up to individual states.
Democrats have been hoping to use the end of Roe to get their supporters out to polls in November and prevent a red wave. Despite this, many Democrat voters are upset that they are not taking more action on the issue before the election. Do you think abortion will be a strong enough issue to save the left come election day?
