Supreme Court allows Kentucky abortion ultrasound law to take effect
by Kimberly LeonardThe Supreme Court won't hear an appeal over a Kentucky law that forces health providers to show pregnant women ultrasounds of their fetuses before having abortions.
The decision means that the Supreme Court leaves intact a 2-1 decision from the 6th Circuit that the law does not violate doctors' First Amendment rights to free speech, writing that the information gleaned from an ultrasound was "pertinent" to a woman's decision-making.
The Kentucky law allows women to look away from the ultrasound screen and to ask the doctor to turn off the sounds. Doctors who don't comply can be fined and referred to Kentucky's medical licensing board.