NewsA judge in the Western District of Kentucky on Wednesday granted a temporary restraining order barring state officials from enforcing, or otherwise requiring compliance with House Bill 5 (HB5), which bans abortions based on sex, race or disability.
The TRO was sought by the American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky.
HB5 imposes limits on women seeking to end their pregnancies because of sex, race, nationality or a diagnosis of a disability in the fetus. The judge held that the TRO “is in the public interest because preventing enforcement of a potentially unconstitutional state law benefits the citizens of the Commonwealth.”
Last week the same judge issued a TRO against Senate Bill 9, which banned abortion after the detection of a fetal heartbeat. The bills stymied by the federal court are similar to bills being considered in other states, which also aim to limit access to abortion services.
