When women view an ultrasound of their unborn child prior to an abortion, a very large number of them will choose Life. For this reason, many states around the country are attempting to place an Ultrasound Bill into state law. The state of Kentucky is in the process of passing a bill that will allow women to see an ultrasound of their unborn baby before undergoing an abortion.
On Thursday, January 14, a Kentucky Senate Judiciary Committee approved Senate Bill 38, sponsored by Republican Senator Elizabeth Tori. The bill was approved by a unanimous vote in committee. The bill will now be placed on the calendar for consideration by the full Senate.
In 2009, the Kentucky state Senate approved and signed a similar ultrasound bill. It went on to the Kentucky House Health and Welfare Committee who shot down the measure. Pro-Life advocates in Kentucky are hopeful that the new 2010 version will pass both the Senate and the House. The 2010 measure is detailed and more in depth than the 2009 version. This year Senator Tori is attempting to put into law a bill that will require abortion practitioners to explain what the ultrasound shows, including if more than one baby is present and to point out the torso and the limbs of the baby.
Many other states, including Oklahoma and Texas, are attempting to pass bills that will require that a woman seeking an abortion be given the option to see the ultrasound. Before a woman undergoes an irreversible procedure, she needs to be fully informed and aware of all the current information pertaining to her child.
More than 16 states have enacted ultrasound laws that enhance the opportunity for a woman to see her child off of an ultrasound image.
Texas Right to Life will pursue a bill in the 2011 legislative session that would mandate that abortion facilities must offer to show the image of the unborn child to all pregnant women seeking an abortion. The woman can choose not to receive the information, but she must be offered the opportunity. This legislation would have an extreme impact on the Life issue.
Clinics currently perform an ultrasound before all abortion procedures, but it is not required that the woman be given the opportunity to view her baby. The passing of the ultrasound bill will allow more women to see their baby, resulting in more mothers choosing Life.