Kentucky legislature overrides Gov. Andy Beshear's veto of abortion law

April 13 (UPI) -- Kentucky's Republican state legislature on Wednesday voted to override Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear's veto of a sweeping anti-abortion law.

The House voted 76-21 and the Senate voted 31-6 to override Beshear's veto of House Bill 3, an anti-abortion omnibus bill that bans the distribution of abortion pills by mail, tightens requirements for minors seeking abortion and orders the creation of a system to register and monitor abortions.

An emergency clause in the bill also meant the measure would immediately take effect after receiving the signature of Senate President Robert Stivers.

The bill's sponsor, Republican Rep. Nancy Tate, said the bill would protect women's health and expand rights of parents and minors who get abortions, while others expressed outright opposition to abortion.

"The abortion of a baby is plain wrong," Republican state Rep. Norma Kirk-McCormick said. "I pray that God will have mercy on anyone that would take the life of a child."

Protesters outside the House chambers shouted "Bans off our bodies" as the lawmakers voted on the override with Democrats arguing against the bill.

"I can hear people outside chanting, 'Bans off our bodies' right now," said Democratic state Rep. Rachel Roberts, who previously said that she was raped as a 14-year-old. "This issue is so important that people showed up today. That should tell you something. I urge you to consider the ramifications of this bill. I urge you to allow this veto. Think of me as a 14-year-old rape victim."

Nicole Erwin of Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates of Kentucky and Indiana said Wednesday morning that while the bill does not make abortion illegal, its "laundry list of restrictions" make it so that abortion providers will not be able to comply.

"Make no mistake, the Kentucky legislature's sole goal with this law is to shut down health centers and completely eliminate abortion access in the state," leaders with the American Civil Liberties Union and Planned Parenthood said.

The American Civil Liberties Union said it would file a lawsuit challenging the law on Wednesday and Planned Parenthood said it would file its own challenge on Thursday.

Lawyers for opponents of the bill also said they would ask a judge in the U.S. District Court in Louisville to block enforcement of the law while their challenge is pending, but the state would still likely face at least a temporary disruption to abortion access.