LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A lawsuit filed by three Jewish women claims Kentucky's current abortion laws are unconstitutional and violate their religious freedom.

The suit filed on behalf of Lisa Sobel, Jessica Kalb and Sarah Baron was filed against Attorney General Daniel Cameron and Jefferson County Attorney Thomas Wine.

All three women claim that Kentucky's abortion laws infringe on the freedom to practice their religion, since they do not believe human life begins at conception. Quoting the sacred text of Judaism, Midrash Bereishit Rabbah 34:10, the women believe life begins "from the moment the fetus emerges from the womb." 

The suit claims Kentucky abortion laws oppose Jewish teachings on pregnancy and "impose minority religious doctrines on those who do not believe in them." 

Two of the plaintiffs have used reproductive medicine to help have children including in vitro fertilization, which they claim is now in limbo because of Kentucky's abortion laws state that life begins at conception. The suit notes that it isn't uncommon for fertilized eggs to be discarded during IVF. The suit questions whether discarding those eggs could be considered a capital offense in Kentucky. 

Kentucky's current abortion laws also have no exceptions for mental health of the mother; however, Jewish law says a woman's health takes precedence over an unborn fetus. 

Kalb spoke at a news conference on Thursday. She said because of the abortion law and her struggles with IVF, she and her husband have chosen not to have more children at this time because they fear it isn’t safe. She says she wants more kids but doesn’t want to be a criminal.

The plaintiffs say the vague language of Kentucky's  abortion laws puts them in a legal "gray area" that prevents them from "having children, endangers their lives and could possibly put them in prison." 

The lawsuit seeks to keep Cameron and Wine from enforcing the state's abortion laws. It also seeks to overturn the laws.

“Although we have not received the complaint, I am committed to defending Kentucky’s pro-life laws,” said Attorney General Cameron in a statement. “The General Assembly has made it clear that Kentucky will protect unborn life and these laws are an important part of the Commonwealth.”

Wine's office said it has not received the lawsuit and didn't provide a statement. 

In August, the Kentucky Supreme Court denied a request to take an emergency review of a lower court's ruling reinstating a near-total abortion ban in the state, meaning most abortions in the state will remain illegal.

However, the high court will hear arguments on Nov. 15 in Frankfort and eventually rule on whether abortion should be banned in Kentucky.

Until then, an August ruling by the state Court of Appeals reinstating two laws banning almost all abortions in the state will stand.

The ban took effect when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. The ruling means most abortions are illegal in the state, for now.

ACLU attorneys for the EMW Women's Surgical Clinic and Planned Parenthood in Louisville filed an appeal to the state Supreme Court.

Attorney General Daniel Cameron had asked the appeals court for an emergency stay, which blocked a lower court's ruling. That ruling by Jefferson County Circuit Court Judge Mitch Perry put two abortion bans on hold so the courts could determine if they violate Kentucky's constitution.

The state's two clinics have said "abortion is now banned in Kentucky."

Kentucky's trigger law was meant to ban abortions as soon as the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in late June. The Kentucky law contains a narrow exception allowing a physician to perform an abortion if necessary to prevent the death or permanent injury of the pregnant woman.

Kentucky lawmakers also passed a separate six-week ban that the clinics are challenging.

The lower court judge, Mitch Perry, ruled on July 22 that there is "a substantial likelihood" that Kentucky's new abortion laws violate "the rights to privacy and self-determination" protected by Kentucky's constitution.

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