Kentucky’s Republican Governor Matt Bevin made pro-life
issues a top priority throughout his campaign.
Last week, he made good on his promise.
Governor Bevin signed an informed consent bill requiring
that biological facts and medical information be given to mothers in person or
by real-time video at least 24-hours before an abortion. “The overwhelming support for Senate Bill 4
in the Kentucky legislature is a positive step toward protecting the emotional
and physical health and safety of women,” Bevin said in a statement before
signing the bill.
Bill supporters say the reason the bill was necessary is
because many abortionists circumvent the law by having mothers listen to a
prerecorded message over the phone. The lead sponsor of the bill, Senator
Julie Raque Adams (R-Louisville), said that in-person consultations before
surgery are standard medical practice, “and Kentucky women deserve no less.”
The House passed Senate Bill 4 a couple weeks ago, with the
option of a real-time video consultation, and the Senate gave final approval last
week.
Gov. Bevin chose this as the very first bill he signed into
law. He put his signature to it as soon
as legislators delivered it to him. The
bill informing mothers of the medical and biological facts related to gestation
and abortion becomes the Bluegrass State’s first new pro-life law in twelve
years. [Pro-life legislation was
previously road-blocked by the Democrat-controlled state House.]
Senate Minority Leader (Democrat) Ray Jones, supported the
bill, calling it “long overdue” and saying the issue was “not Democrat or
Republican; it’s right or wrong.” Sen. Jones recalled seeing his son in
the womb’s heartbeat via ultrasound and said, “I knew he was a human being.”
Gov. Bevin was a Tea Party and conservative favorite who
supported Rowan County clerk Kim Davis during her incarceration for refusing to
sign homosexual ‘marriage’ licenses. In
fact, Bevin credits Davis in part for his election last November. Among his first actions as KY governor was to
grant Davis a waiver removing her name from marriage licenses issued to
same-sex couples.
Republican State Senate Majority Leader Damon Thayer told
local media, “It just goes to show that elections have consequences.”
“We have worked for over a decade to correct the obviously
flawed interpretation and enforcement of the original bill that we passed in
1998,” said Margie Montgomery, executive director of Kentucky Right to Life
Association. “We are grateful for the
thousands of pro-life citizens across the commonwealth who, for years, have
been active in the legislative and political process. We thank pro-life Republican Leadership in
both House and Senate for working with us and, of course, our new pro-life
governor! Elections do matter for women
and their unborn babies.”
Fr. Frank Pavone, national director of Priests for Life,
praised Bevin. “Kentucky is blessed to
have a governor who leads by serving,” Fr. Pavone said. “Governor Bevin’s immediate action to sign the
new informed consent for abortion law is a great act of service –– not only to
pregnant mothers, but also the state as a whole. The more women know about abortion and its
alternatives, the more women will choose life.
Hopefully, the Kentucky legislature will deliver more pro-life
legislation to Governor Bevin,” added Fr. Pavone. “His leadership is an encouragement to all
Americans who seek a culture of life.”
Last week, Kentucky’s new pro-life governor also shut down a
Planned Parenthood abortion facility in Louisville for committing abortions
without a license.
Betty Cockrum, the leader of the regional Planned Parenthood
affiliate, said the new law is “just one more barrier and one more burden to
what is the constitutional right of women.”
Listen: Abortion has never been about a women’s ‘choice’ …
It’s about escaping the consequences of a women’s choice by taking all choices
away from another human being – the baby in the womb.
Rev. Dr.
Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.
Chaplain (Colonel-Ret),
U.S. Army
Pastor,
Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel
The more we learn of life the more we must realize that abortion is illegal because it is murder. Murder is illegal in every state so abortion must be illegal in every state as well. The SCOTUS decision is probably the most flawed of any they have made. We must continue the fight for the most innocent of humans.
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