Jewish women file lawsuit against Kentucky abortion law
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WHAS) — Kentucky’s abortion ban is being challenged by three Jewish women who say it violates their religious rights under the state constitution.
The legal challenge, filed Thursday in Louisville, says that “under Jewish law, a fetus does not become a human being or child until birth…” claiming the ban is based on a very narrow view of what “human life” is.
This lawsuit is different because it focuses on the new law’s potential restrictions on in vitro fertilization (IVF).
When people with a uterus use IVF to conceive, multiple fertilized embryos are implanted and the most viable one is chosen. The others are then discarded.
The fear is under this new abortion ban, the procedure could be considered illegal.
They also argued the law caters to Christian beliefs and does not consider Jewish beliefs where abortions are allowed and sometimes necessary.
State Representative Daniel Grossberg joined the group, saying many of his colleagues have already asked about how the Jewish faith views abortion.
“These laws are not just an affront to women, it’s an affront on personal liberty and, as the lawsuit explains, an affront to Judaism itself,” Grossberg said.
The Associated Press reports that state Attorney General Daniel Cameron has signaled he will fight the lawsuit, which names Cameron as a defendant.
