On Wednesday, The Republican-led Kentucky General Assembly effectively ended legal abortion access in their state by overriding Gov. Andy Beshear’s (D) veto of a bill they had previously passed, The Lexington Herald-Leader reported.
Abortion providers say the implementation of the bill makes Kentucky the first state in the U.S. to not have legal abortion access since 1973, when the Supreme Court ruled in Roe v. Wade, establishing a woman’s right to terminate a pregnancy before fetal viability.
Among a plethora of restrictions, the new law bans access to abortion pills received by mail and implements a monitoring system for abortions performed throughout Kentucky as well as on the physicians who perform the procedure, according to The Herald-Leader.
Governor Beshear stated that the measure was “likely unconstitutional,” as it provides no exception for rape or incest, and Beshear said he believes “rape and incest are violent crimes,” and that, “victims of these crimes should have options,” according to the report.
Abortion providers said they will challenge the bill in court.
Read the full report at The Lexington Herald-Leader.
