Commonwealth Policy Center

There are two pro-life bills moving through the state legislature. One amends the state constitution to make it clear that abortion is not a protected constitutional right. The other bill protects human life that survives a botched abortion. SB 9 is sponsored by Sen. Whitney Westerfield (R-Hopkinsville) and is a response to Virginia Governor Ralph Northam’s public statements last year defending infanticide. Northam said during a radio interview that the fate of any baby surviving an abortion should be determined by the mother and her doctor. That brought about a strong response from Westerfield and the rest of the Kentucky state Senate.  The bill sailed through the Senate by a unanimous a 32-0 vote on Monday. Even though Westerfield isn’t aware of any botched abortion ending in infanticide, he said this bill is needed to “prevent it ever happening.”