Federal Appeals Court Upholds Law Requiring an Ultrasound Before an Abortion

A federal appeals court upheld a Kentucky law Thursday requiring doctors to conduct an ultrasound, show patients the images, and have women hear the fetal heartbeat at least 24 hours prior to an abortion.

In a 2-1 ruling, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals backed the “Ultrasound Informed Consent Act” which was passed in 2017 and was immediately challenged by the state’s only abortion clinic.

The majority opinion was written by Trump appointee Judge John Bush who cited the U.S. Supreme Court’s rulings in Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey and, more recently, National Institute of Family and Life Advocates v. Becerra.

He argued that the information required by the Kentucky legislation was “truthful, non-misleading, and relevant information about an abortion,” and did not violate a doctor’s free speech rights as the abortion clinic claimed. . .

“Today is a historic day, as Kentucky continues to lead the charge in implementing strong pro-life protections for its citizens,” [Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin] said. “We applaud the decision by the Sixth Circuit, which affirms the commonsense notion that patients should be well equipped with relevant information before making important medical decisions. I am grateful to be governor of a state that values every human life, and we are committed to continue our fight on behalf of the most vulnerable among us.” (Read more from “Federal Appeals Court Upholds Law Requiring an Ultrasound Before an Abortion” HERE)

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