A proposed amendment to the Kentucky Constitution would bar the state from ensuring the right to an abortion in the event the Supreme Court's Roe vs. Wade decision is overturned.
"To protect human life, nothing in this Constitution shall be construed to secure or protect a right to abortion or require the funding of abortion.” That statement would be added to the Kentucky's foundational document under House Bill 67 if approved by voters at the ballot box.
The bill, which currently has 35 sponsors in the Republican-controlled House, cleared a committee after only brief discussion Thursday. Democratic Rep. Lisa Willner told colleagues she was "embarrassed" by the measure's speedy approval and the panel's treatment of the issue.
"I think that this bill is emblematic of the way we treat women in saying you don't have the authority to make decisions about your own body," she said.
HB 67 lead sponsor Joseph Fischer has tried in previous sessions to pass the amendment. This is the first time it has made it through committee.
