FRANKFORT, Ky. (FOX 56) – A bill proposed on Tuesday would allow Kentucky to prosecute illegal abortion as homicides. Now the bill is receiving bipartisan criticism.

House Bill 300, filed on Tuesday in the Kentucky House of Representatives, would allow Kentucky to prosecute women with homicide if they receive an illegal abortion. The bill was filed by Emily Callaway who represents District 37.

Attorney General Daniel Cameron, a vocal ally of the anti-abortion movement, said the bill goes too far. Cameron said the current law, the Human Life Protection Act, appropriately values the life of pregnant people and unborn children.

“While I strongly support prohibiting abortions in Kentucky, I just as strongly support helping pregnant women. Pregnant mothers deserve our help, support, and life-affirming options, not to face criminal charges,” Cameron wrote in a statement.

Planned Parenthood also responded calling the bill extreme.

“Outrage is the only appropriate response to HB 300,” said Tamarra Wieder, Kentucky state director for Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates, in a news release. “Kentucky lawmakers are trying to criminalize pregnant people who seek abortion care, no matter the circumstances of their decision. These lawmakers only want to scare patients and push an extremist political agenda. Planned Parenthood will fight with everything we’ve got to defeat this cruel bill.” 

Kentucky Right for Life, a anti-abortion advocacy group, criticized the bill saying it would target a vulnerable population.

“As national and state pro-life organizations, representing tens of millions of pro-life men,
women, and children across the country, let us be clear: We state unequivocally that we do not
support any measure seeking to criminalize or punish women and we stand firmly opposed to
include such penalties in legislation,” said a Kentucky Right for Life news release.

“We call upon all Kentucky prolife legislators to continue to act with compassion towards abortion-minded and vulnerable women. We oppose any legislative and policy initiatives that criminalize women who seek abortions. Furthermore, we respectfully urge members of the Kentucky Assembly to reject HB 300 as written, and any measure of the bill that seeks to criminalize women who have abortions,” said Addia Wuchner, R.N. executive director of Kentucky Right to Life.