Kentucky's only abortion clinic resumed seeing patients Saturday after a federal judge in Louisville blocked the state from enforcing a new abortion law.

The General Assembly passed the bill late Thursday, and it was signed soon after by Gov. Matt Bevin.

But U.S. District Judge David Hale issued the temporary restraining order at 7:40 p.m. Friday, barring the state from enforcing Senate Bill 9 — the "fetal heartbeat" bill — which bans abortion once a heartbeat is detected, usually around the sixth week of pregnancy.

Bevin signed the bill just after midnight Friday, and because it carried an "emergency" declaration, it took effect immediately.

That forced EMW Women's Surgical Center in Louisville to turn patients away Friday who had been scheduled for abortions, said Amber Duke, a spokeswoman for the ACLU of Kentucky, which represents the clinic.

The clinic also had begun canceling patient appointments for Saturday, when staff learned the judge had blocked enforcement of SB 9, she said.

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On Friday, the ACLU filed a lawsuit challenging the new law, arguing it is unconstitutional in that it would effectively ban all abortions in Kentucky because most women don't realize they are pregnant until at least six weeks into a pregnancy.

“Taking another page straight out of the anti-abortion playbook, Kentucky became the latest state to pass a law that will ban abortion before most women know they’re pregnant,” said Brigitte Amiri, deputy director with the ACLU Reproductive Freedom Project. “These bans are blatantly unconstitutional, and we will ask the court to strike it down.”

Hale's order later that same day, citing the the "strong likelihood of success" of the ACLU's claim that the law is unconstitutional, ordered that enactment of the law be delayed for 14 days until he is able to hold a hearing on the matter.

"The Supreme Court has stated in no uncertain terms that regardless of whether exceptions are made for particular circumstances, a state may not prohibit any woman from making the ultimate decision to terminate her pregnancy before viability." Hale's order said, citing a 1992 U.S. Supreme Court ruling affirming its 1973 Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion.

A fetus is considered viable at about 24 weeks.

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Hale's order said that "Senate Bill 9 would effectively ban the vast majority of abortions in the Commonwealth of Kentucky," and that if the law is enforced before a hearing, patients "would be immediately and irreparably harmed absent a temporary restraining order from this court."

Hale's order noted the law has an emergency clause that allowed it to take effect immediately but ”little explanation accompanies this declaration."

Bevin, an anti-abortion Republican, signed the bill around midnight, following the late Thursday bill passing, according to a news article the Owensboro Times posted Friday. The article cited as a source Sen. Matt Castlen, a Owensboro Republican, who was the primary sponsor of SB 9.

Bevin pledged support for anti-abortion legislation in the 2019 session, announcing at a Right to Life rally in Frankfort last month that he's proud of "being accused of being the most pro-life governor in America."

Bevin's office did not announce the bill-signing and did not immediately respond to a request for comment Saturday.

Republicans who control the General Assembly indicated they are not worried about a court challenge or court costs in their fight to outlaw abortion. This session, the legislature passed four bills meant to eliminate or restrict abortion.

Sen. Majority Leader Damon Thayer, a Georgetown Republican, has said it would be "the pinnacle of my career" for Kentucky to be the first state to get a case before the U.S. Supreme Court that led to the reversal of Roe v. Wade.

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Even as House members voted final passage of SB 9 Thursday, some members warned it is unconstitutional, including Rep. Chris Harris, a Pikeville Democrat.

"I consider myself pro-life," Harris said. "But the constitutionality of this legislation has already been decided."

Harris noted the state already is "embroiled" in three other lawsuits defending previous abortion laws passed by the legislature. Federal judges have struck down two and a decision on a third is pending.

In one case, lawyers for EMW and Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky are seeking $1.5 million in legal costs after winning a case that required abortion clinics to have signed agreements with hospitals and ambulance services in case of an emergency. The lawyers argued the Bevin administration was applying the rules unfairly to try to block abortion in Kentucky.

"We have a responsibility to the people not to waste their money and this is a waste of money," Harris said of SB 9.

Earlier:More abortion bills win final passage with end of legislative session nigh

But Rep. Chris Fugate, an Eastern Kentucky Republican who introduced the bill in the House, said he was not dissuaded by such concerns.

"I'm not operating on fear of the Supreme Court," he said. "This bill is to save the life of the unborn who are crying out and saying, 'I want to live,' every time their heart pumps blood."

Deborah Yetter: 502-582-422 cases8; dyetter@courierjournal.com; Twitter: @d_yetter.