FRANKFORT, Ky. (March 17, 2017) – Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin is joining with 21 other states in filing an amicus brief with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit in support of Alabama’s ban on the barbaric procedure of dismemberment abortion. The effort to support Alabama through the amicus brief is being led by Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry.
The Commonwealth joins Louisiana, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, and Wisconsin in filing the supportive document asserting that Alabama’s law is constitutional and that the federal district court applied the wrong legal standard in enjoining the enforcement of the ban.
“I am grateful to be the governor of a state that so highly values the sanctity of human life,” said Gov. Bevin. “Kentuckians overwhelmingly agree we must protect the rights of unborn children. The respect for life and the protection of the innocent should always transcend politics. This should not be a controversial issue. We are proud to stand in unity with Alabama and other pro-life states as we fight against this particularly gruesome display of judicial overreach.”
The question raised by the district court’s decision goes to the heart of the States’ authority to regulate abortion. The Supreme Court has held that States have an interest in protecting and fostering respect for human life, including unborn life.
The abortion method involved in this case is an exceptionally grisly one, potentially even more so than the “partial birth” procedure. This type of abortion kills fetuses by tearing them limb from limb while they are still alive in the womb. The repeated performance of such a procedure will compromise respect for life as well as the ethics of the medical profession.
Since taking office, Gov. Bevin has signed three important pieces of pro-life legislation into law. Senate Bill 5 prohibits physicians from terminating pregnancies after 20 weeks of gestation—the point at which experts say that a fetus can feel pain. House Bill 2 requires physicians to offer an ultrasound to patients prior to performing an abortion, allowing women to make a truly informed medical decision. Both laws passed with broad bipartisan support in the first week of this year’s General Assembly. In addition to this year’s measures, Gov. Bevin signed Senate Bill 4 (“informed consent”) in 2016, requiring medical personnel to provide face-to-face consultation to women 24 hours before an abortion is performed.
Note: Click here to download a copy of the full amicus brief.
