FRANKFORT, KY (March 14, 2019) – Legislation that would make it a felony to perform an abortion based on a fetus's gender, race, color, national origin or disability received final passage by a vote of 32-4 on Wednesday March 13, 2019 in the Kentucky Senate.
The measure, known as House Bill 5, will now go to the governor’s desk. HB 5 also contains an emergency clause, a provision in a bill that it become effective immediately upon receiving the governor’s signature rather than 90 days after adjournment.
“To many, the right to extinguish or eliminate the life of an unborn child because of their gender, race or possible physical or mental disability is reminiscent of the evil social philosophy of eugenics,” said Sen. Ralph Alvarado, R-Winchester, who carried the bill in the Senate. “House Bill 5 recognizes and confirms all human life has intrinsic value.”
Sen. Reginald Thomas, D-Lexington, unsuccessfully tried to amend HB 5 to require children born with certain disabilities, including Down syndrome, to have all their medical expenses covered at no cost for life.
“I cannot comprehend how we want to bring life into this world with a child who has the disabilities I have enumerated and then abandon that child once that child comes into this world,” Thomas said after voting against HB 5. “I can’t make any sense of that. I can’t understand that.”
Alvarado responded by stating Kentucky had a very robust Medicaid program for children.
He added that HB 5 was a “common-sense measure” because it would prohibit the abortion of an unborn child based on characteristics that are already protected by state and federal law after a child is born.
HB 5 would also make it a felony, punishable by up to five years in prison, to perform abortions that are prohibited under its provisions. There would be exceptions for medical emergencies involving expecting mothers.
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