EMW Women’s Surgical Center, one of only two abortion facilities in Kentucky, has been listed for sale.
Kentucky Today reported that the building has been put on the market for $3.5 million, and realtor Austin English said he has already been receiving calls from interested buyers. So far, there is no word on what this will mean for the future of the facility; EMW’s website continues to state that it is open, and there has been no comment released to local media about the sale.
After the fall of Roe v. Wade, the state of Kentucky enacted a trigger law, protecting virtually all preborn children from abortion. This led to abortions in the state dropping to nearly zero.
In addition to the trigger law, EMW Women’s Surgical Center has been embroiled in controversy over a buffer zone ordinance, which was put into place by the Louisville Metro Council in 2021. The abortion facility quickly painted lines to indicate where the buffer zone is, but the ordinance was struck down by a federal court judge. Kentucky Right to Life and Sisters for Life both sued, pointing out that the buffer zone banned people from even praying on the sidewalk. The Sixth Circuit Court ruled that the buffer zone ordinance violated the First Amendment.
In a statement, Kentucky Right to Life celebrated the potential closure of EMW Women’s Surgical Center. The only other abortion facility in the state is Planned Parenthood, also located in Louisville.
“In the last 299 days there’s been no abortions in Commonwealth of Kentucky – except when medically necessary to protect the life of the mother. Let’s face it folks, when you can no longer profit from taking innocent lives, close the doors, it is time to move on,” Addia Kathryn Wuchner, Executive Director Kentucky Right to Life, said. “For years Kentucky Right to Life and our members, faithful ProLife advocates and prayer warriors have stormed Heaven for those who had no voice. They waited, trusted, and advocated that one day they would see the day that God would shut EMW down. Well, that day has come!!”