On Tuesday, the Kentucky Supreme Court denied an emergency appeal from the state attorney general to have an abortion ban that was blocked by a circuit court judge reinstated.
Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in June to overturn Roe v. Wade, Kentucky’s Human Life Protection Act was put into effect, banning all abortions except those performed to save the mother’s life or prevent her serious injury.
Last week, the American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit on behalf of state abortion providers, arguing that the law forces women to “remain pregnant against their will”.
Jefferson County Circuit Court Judge Mitch Perry had issued a temporary restraining order on the law and another law that blocks abortions after six weeks.
On Saturday, the Kentucky Court of Appeals denied Attorney General Daniel Cameron’s request to stay the decision and the state high court denied his request Tuesday.
“The Supreme Court’s decision to continue delaying enforcement of Kentucky’s Human Life Protection Act and Heartbeat Law is disappointing,” Cameron tweeted Tuesday.
“We’ve now asked all three levels of Kentucky’s judiciary to allow these laws to take effect. Not a single judge at any level has suggested these laws are unconstitutional, yet we are unfortunately still prohibited from enforcing them,” he added.
Samuel Crankshaw, ACLU Kentucky’s communications manager, said “The Kentucky Supreme Court has now denied [AG Cameron’s] second attempt to block an emergency order protecting Kentuckians’ rights to privacy, bodily autonomy, and self-determination, as outlined in the state constitution”.
A hearing on the lawsuit will be held by the circuit court Wednesday.