A Religious Liberty and Medicine bill passed its first floor vote and Kentucky Senate today.

As our June Leffler reports, Republicans and Democrats disagree on whether Senate Bill 72 would protect health care workers or harm patients.

More about this as we kick off tonight's legislative update.

A physician in the Senate says fellow nurses and doctors need more say on the job.

By simply saying, we value your dedication, your hard work and your professional knowledge.

We respect your individuality, your vision and your value.

Under Senate Bill 72, health care workers could refuse to offer any medical care except emergency or sexual assault services for religious, ethical or moral reasons.

If a hospital or clinic resists, the nurse, doctor or other professional could pursue civil damages.

While some agree this bill would safeguard quality medicine from corporate greed, others questioned which patients might be turned away.

Could any physician in the state of Kentucky then say on a protection, this bill that I have a strongly held moral or ethical belief that blacks are inferior to whites, and based upon that, strongly and sincerely held moral and ethical belief as defined in this bill.

Refused non-emergency treatment to blacks patients.

Hypothetical questions can only be given hypothetical answers, neither of which are deemed accurate.

This bill now opens the door to law, protected discrimination.

I can't go there, Mr.

President.

I will never go there.

Just this past summer, in the state of Tennessee, that there was a young woman who was pregnant and she was not married to her partner and her doctor, upon learning that she was not married to her partner, said, I am not comfortable providing prenatal care to you because you are not married and that violates my Christian beliefs.

That story has been reported nationally, but there's no confirmation that the doctor did or could have invoked Tennessee's new medical conscience law in that situation.

The state's leading LGBTQ rights group also says this bill could prevent care for gay and transgender patients.

But Republicans say the law asks what is the procedure, not who is the patient.

Procedure being done to assure a white guy or a tall black guy?

It doesn't matter.

You disagree with that procedure.

You're not saying it because he is of certain persuasion.

Just because a physician or professional relies on a sincerely held belief and they choose not to treat.

I think someone usually in that health system will take up the slack, and those people will be provided services.

They shouldn't be forced to, participate in surgeries for, sexual assignment, but make no mistakes.

If this does start happening, and we do have residents in this state that are denied basic health care because of this bill, we're going to need to take another look at that, because I don't I don't think that's what we want.

The vote was strictly along party lines, passing Senate Bill 72 by 2825.

For Kentucky edition, I'm John Leffler.