Urges federal appeals court to rule in favor of Louisville abortion clinic
Media Contact: Nicole Burton
502-564-2611
Nicole.Burton@ky.gov
FRANKFORT, Ky. (April 3, 2019) – Gov. Matt Bevin's office released the following statement in response to a "friend of the court" brief filed today by Attorney General Andy Beshear in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, regarding a Louisville abortion clinic (EMW Women's Surgical Center) case:
"Attorney General Beshear today reached a new low when he took the extraordinary and unprecedented step of filing a 'friend of the court' brief, asking a federal appeals court to declare unconstitutional Kentucky's law requiring abortion clinics to have transfer agreements with local hospitals as a condition of being licensed," said Woody Maglinger, deputy communications director for Gov. Bevin. "In doing so, Andy Beshear once again strongly aligned himself with the pro-abortion groups, ACLU and Planned Parenthood — and against not only the law of the state that it is his job to defend, but also against the interests and popular will of the vast majority of Kentuckians who value not only life, but the safety of women who elect to undergo abortions."
While Beshear continues to side with pro-abortion activists, Gov. Bevin has worked with the General Assembly to enact several vital pieces of pro-life legislation, including:
- SB 4 (2016) – requiring informed consent (in-person or via real-time video),
- SB 5 (2017) – protecting children after 20 weeks of gestation,
- HB 2 (2017) – requiring an ultrasound be shown to the mother before a pregnancy is terminated,
- HB 454 (2018) – banning the gruesome practice of live dismemberment abortion,
- SB 9 (2019) – banning abortions after a baby’s heartbeat has been detected, and
- HB 5 (2019) – banning abortions based on race, gender, and perceived disability.
In addition to the transfer agreement case currently before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, Gov. Bevin's legal team is also defending HB 2, HB 454, SB 9, and HB 5 in federal court.