Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin Quickly Signs Pro-Life Bill to Help Women and Protect Babies

State   |   Micaiah Bilger   |   Feb 3, 2016   |   11:40AM   |   Frankfort, KY

Kentucky pro-life Gov. Matt Bevin wasted no time this week to sign the first pro-life law to pass the state legislature in 12 years.

Bevin quickly signed state Senate Bill 4 into law Tuesday in an impromptu move after the state Senate approved it in a final vote Monday, according to WLWT News.

The new law, Bevin’s first as governor, amends the state’s informed consent law to require either an in-person or a real-time video consultation between a doctor and woman at least 24 hours before having an abortion, according to the Associated Press. During the meeting, the woman will be informed about the risks of abortion, the age of her unborn baby and the support available to her if she chose childbirth.

Legislators said the bill was needed because some abortion facilities were not conducting live consultations with women before abortion procedures; instead, they would instruct women to call in and listen to a recorded message, according to the AP.

“This is an extraordinary day,” Bevin said as he signed the bill.

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“I’m grateful for the chance to be able to sign meaningful legislation, and today was a day when a meaningful piece of legislation was put in front of me,” Bevin added in a later interview.

With him was the lead sponsor of the bill, state Sen. Julie Raque Adams, a Louisville Republican. She previously said that face-to-face medical consultations prior to a surgical procedure are standard medical practice – “and Kentucky women deserve no less.”

“This is a solid bill that does much to move not only the healthcare but the wellness of women out of the restricted column and into priority status, which we so rightly deserve,” Adams said.

Pro-life lawmakers were encouraged that Bevin made the bill his top priority on Tuesday.

“We wanted to make that type of a statement with the (bill) sponsor delivering to the new governor his first bill for signature,” state Senate President Robert Stivers told reporters.

In the past decade, pro-life legislators have struggled to pass bills through the Democrat-controlled state House. The bill is the first pro-life measure to pass the Kentucky legislature in 12 years, according to local news reports.

Last Thursday, the Kentucky House passed the bill in a historic vote after agreeing to amend the bill to allow the consultations to take place on real-time video or face to face, LifeNews reported. Then on Monday, the Kentucky Senate gave final approval of the bill and sent it to the governor’s office.

“We have waited 12 long years for the House to agree with the Senate on pro-life language that will save the lives of the unborn,” said state Sen. Damon Thayer, majority floor leader, in a speech before the vote Monday. “Today…we will give voice to those who cannot speak for themselves.”

The pro-life governor also shut down a Planned Parenthood abortion facility in Louisville last week after it was caught doing abortions without a license.

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