WLKY

February 3, 2010

Right to Life Supporters Rally in Frankfort

by Erin Haynes

Hundreds of people rallied for Senate Bill 38 at the Kentucky State Capitol Wednesday.

The bill would require women to have an ultrasound before consenting to an abortion.

Senate Bill 38 passed in the Senate last week. It is now under review by the House Health and Welfare committee.

Supporters of the bill gathered on the steps of the Capitol Wednesday morning. Many women spoke about how having an abortion without the proper knowledge or having an ultrasound affected their lives.

The bill would require a face-to-face consultation within 24 hours before consenting to an abortion.

Kentucky abortion providers already include an ultrasound as part of the abortion procedure, but the bill would require the doctor to turn the monitor toward the woman.

"At 18 days, the baby has a heartbeat. So, by the time you've missed a period, the baby is already formed. So, at 18 days it has a heartbeat, it feels pain. So, if they would have told me the consequences, if I would have received adequate counseling, if I would have seen that ultrasound, it would have made a difference," bill supporter Bobbye Blackburn.

The bill cannot require women to look at the ultrasound or listen to a description of what is being shown on the screen, but doctors who don't comply face a fine.