There have been so many heartbreaking stories of pregnant women seriously harmed since Roe v. Wade was overturned in June 2022. Today in Kentucky, abortion is banned in all cases–zero exceptions except for the life of the pregnant person. Heather Maberry of Stanton, Kentucky knows the cruelty of Kentucky’s ban well. She was nearly five months pregnant when she learned her baby was missing parts of her brain and wouldn’t survive. But Kentucky’s restrictive law meant she had to leave the state for abortion care.
Kentucky legislators have become architects of intentional suffering through their relentless anti-abortion policies. As we witness the denial of care to rape survivors, cancer patients and people like Heather, the cruelty of these laws becomes increasingly difficult for extremists to deny.
Legislation to protect abortion is underway
Last week, Rep. Lindsey Burke of Lexington filed legislation to protect abortion. The North Star Bill, HB 428, would restore abortion access here in Kentucky. The Shield Bill, HB 429, formalizes legal protections for those who must travel to other states to get needed care. HB 430 addresses the epidemic of maternal mortality in Kentucky by including information about postpartum depression and anxiety in the HANDS program that serves many Kentucky families.