Kentucky Senate considers pro-life bill

Washington D.C., Mar 2, 2007 / 10:41 am

Fr. Frank Pavone, national director of Priests for Life, said he is praying for the Kentucky Senate to pass a second pro-life bill that would require women seeking abortions to be informed about fetal pain and the use of anesthesia in prenatal surgeries. Fr. Pavone said he hopes the Senate will “take this small step to reduce the excruciating pain and trauma of abortion” and pass the bill.

"Our laws offer more compassion to animals about to be slaughtered than they do to babies about to be aborted," Fr. Pavone lamented in his statement. "It would be cruel beyond reason to deny even the possibility of anesthesia to a tiny human who's about to have his or her body torn limb from limb.”

The bill, sponsored by Sen. Jack Westwood, easily cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, reported the Associated Press.

The bill headed for the full Senate has the support of Gov. Ernie Fletcher, who said he’s been consistently pro-life throughout his career. "Any measures we can take to protect the unborn should be taken," he said in a statement.

The Senate recently passed another bill, requiring women to have in-person meetings with medical professionals at least 24 hours before having abortions. It has been blocked by the state’s House Health and Welfare Committee.