On Wednesday, the Senate Health and Welfare Committee passed House Bill 3, the omnibus abortion bill. The bill will now head to the Senate floor for a full vote. If passed, it will then head to the governor’s desk to be signed into law.
The primary sponsor of the bill, Rep. Nancy Tate (R-Brandenburg), outlined the six main tenants of the bill during the introduction of the bill. She also mentioned that opponents say this bill would end abortions in the state.
“My response is that we already done that with the assistance of this honorable body with the Heartbeat bill, which was passed in 2019 in the regular session,” Tate said.
She then dove into describing her intent with House Bill 3.
“Rather then, the intent of House Bill 3 is to ensure that while abortions are legal in Kentucky, we want them to be as safe as possible,” Tate said.
The main tenants of the bill are:
- Updating current law on parental consent for minors.
- Dignified care for the remains of aborted fetuses.
- Reporting abortion statistics.
- No taxpayer funding of abortion in Kentucky.
- Using creating guidelines for using chemicals to abort the pregnancy.
The first tenant regarding minors is one of the most important of the bill. Tate said roughly 400,000 children are involved in human trafficking, and this bill states that the parents of minors should know if their children are seeking an abortion. Minors seeking an abortion must obtain a judicial bypass, which helps young people seeking an abortion go around their parents’ knowledge.
“This measure states that physicians must exert measures that parents of minors seeking an abortion are consulted,” Tate said.
Supporting Tate in her testimony was Addia Wuchner, executive director of Kentucky Right for Life. She said that Tate and her group have been working with the ACLU on the bill, but the legislation they support finds it wrong that a child would have to get a parent’s permission.
“They find it wrong that a minor child would even have to have their parent’s permission for an abortion,” Wuchner said. “This is the same child that wouldn’t be able to take an aspirin at school, not be able to get their ears pierced, but the law does allow judicial bypass.”
But, opponents of the bill say that children won’t know or understand how to use the judicial bypass.
“I take these young women through the judicial process, so they can get a judicial bypass,” said attorney Amelia Adams, describing the women she often helps who are coming from broken families and are in dire circumstances, such as sexual abuse and domestic violence. They usually don’t know how to use or get a judicial bypass or realize they don’t have to go to their parent.
“HB 3 is unconstitutional, dangerous, and against the wishes of the majority of Kentuckians who want access to safe and legal abortion care,” said Tamarra Wieder, Kentucky State Director for Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates
In testimony against the bill, rape survivor Nicole Aghaaliandastjerdi said the bill is an obstacle to obtaining healthcare for rape victims, especially if they become pregnant from the crime.
“Let me tell you something. Abusers come in many forms. Most are unassuming to the outside world. They have to be, otherwise, they wouldn’t get very far,” Aghaaliandastjerdi said. “The best abusers, the most successful ones who cause the most harm, are the ones who are really good at manipulation. They convince you that you’re the problem. They make you believe they have your best interest at heart. The commitment to this bill and the way legislators have used it as a tool to say they are pro-life is behavior demonstrated by the best abusers I’ve ever seen. Senators, if you pass this bill, you will most certainly join them.”