GOP lawmakers in Kentucky advance 15-week abortion ban

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky Republican lawmakers on Thursday advanced a proposal to ban abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy as the legislature considers enacting tougher restrictions on the procedure amid a looming U.S. Supreme Court decision on abortion rights.

The measure is modeled after a Mississippi law under review by the the nation's high court in a case that could dramatically limit abortion rights in the United States.

The Kentucky bill would be "immediately enforceable” without risk of legal challenge if the Mississippi law is upheld, said GOP Sen. Max Wise, the bill's lead sponsor.

Wise's measure easily cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday, advancing to the full Senate. The bill would still need House approval if it clears the Senate. Republicans have supermajorities in both chambers.

Kentucky law currently bans abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy.

Two states have enacted 15-week abortion bans — Mississippi and Louisiana, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a research group that supports abortion rights. The Louisiana law hasn’t taken effect pending the outcome of the legal fight over the Mississippi law, the group said. Florida lawmakers recently passed a 15-week abortion ban. The governor there previously signaled his support for the proposal and is expected to sign it into law.

In Kentucky, GOP lawmakers have continued their push to put more restrictions on abortion.

Last week, the Kentucky House passed a separate proposal to strictly regulate the dispensing of abortion pills. That measure would require women to be examined in person by a doctor before receiving the medication. About half of abortions performed in Kentucky are the result of medication procedures. The bill has been referred to a Senate committee for review.

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