Kentucky Court Blocks Abortion Bans

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A Kentucky state court today granted a request from the American Civil Liberties Union, ACLU of Kentucky, and Planned Parenthood Great Northwest, Hawai‘i, Alaska, Indiana, Kentucky for a restraining order (RO). The RO blocks two laws passed in 2019 that stopped abortion services in the state last Friday: a complete abortion ban that the Kentucky Attorney General threatened to enforce following the U.S. Supreme Court’s overruling of Roe v. Wade, and a six-week ban that has been blocked by a federal court.

The lawsuit argues that the bans violate the rights to privacy, bodily autonomy, and self-determination outlined in sections one and two of the Kentucky Constitution. A hearing on the organizations’ request for a temporary injunction to block the laws during litigation has been scheduled for July 6.

Statement from leaders from Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Planned Parenthood Great Northwest, Hawai’i, Indiana, Kentucky, ACLU, and ACLU of Kentucky:

“We’re glad the court recognized the devastation happening in Kentucky and decided to block the commonwealth’s cruel abortion bans. Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe last Friday, numerous Kentuckians have been forced to carry pregnancies against their will or flee their home state in search of essential care. Despite this victory, we know this fight is far from over — especially with politicians like Attorney General Daniel Cameron doing everything they can to score political points at the expense of Kentuckians’ wellbeing. We won’t stop fighting for people’s ability to access the essential abortion care they need in Kentucky. The government should never have the authority to force a person to remain pregnant against their will.”

The case is EMW Women’s Surgical Center v. Daniel Cameron. The plaintiffs are represented by the ACLU, ACLU of Kentucky, Craig Henry PLC, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, and O’Melveny & Myers LLP.