Kentucky voters reject anti-abortion constitutional amendment

KENTUCKY (WKYT) - Kentucky voters have defeated a proposed constitutional amendment that would have given the legislative branch more direct control over abortion rules.

The Associated Press called the race at 8:20 a.m. with 53% voting no.

Kentucky’s proposed one-sentence, constitutional amendment states:

“To protect human life, nothing in this constitution shall be construed to secure or protect a right to abortion or require the funding of abortion.”

ACLU of Kentucky tweeted about the result, calling it a victory over “an extremist attempt to permanently ban abortion.”

VICTORY: Kentucky voters just rejected Amendment 2, defeating an extremist attempt to permanently ban abortion.

The majority of Kentuckians made one thing clear: abortion is our right and politicians have no place in our private medical decisions.
— ACLU of Kentucky (@ACLUofKY) November 9, 2022

Abortions aren’t currently being performed in Kentucky except for medical emergencies, under a state “trigger law” after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade in June.

States who have passed similar amendments include Tennessee, Alabama, West Virginia and Louisiana. Recently, Kansas voters struck down a comparable measure.

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