Republican Governor Matt Bevin on Kentucky signed House Bill 5 into law on Tuesday. The bill would immediately ban abortion on the basis of race, sex, and disability. This the second anti-abortion law that the Republican legislator has passed. The first of these was the “heartbeat” law that would ban abortions after the fetus showed signs of a heartbeat. However, a judge eventually blocked this bill.

The new law will require doctors to confirm that (to the best of their knowledge), the women did not want an abortion based on a possible disability or the race or gender of the fetus. Failure to comply with this law can risk a felony charge and a loss of a medical license. However, authorities would not be able to charge women with a crime under the new law.

The Kentucky Abortion Ban Controversy

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has already sued the state. They believe that the bill is banning abortion because it “disapproves of her reasoning”. They furthermore state that the Constitution gives a right to an abortion, citing the historic Roe V Wade. The ACLU is seeking another restraining order, just like the previous law received.

In response to these claims, the Republicans have defended their decision. One state representative, Melinda Gibbons Prunty, claimed that the bill prevents discrimination against the fetus on the basis of gender, race, and disability. Furthermore, she stated how these abortions are “reminiscent of the social evil of eugenics,”

Many of these anti-abortion bills are coming from a new possible Republican strategy: to get a law to the conservative Supreme Court in hopes of overturning Roe V. Wade.

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