Total number of abortions also declines

Topeka, KS – The Kansas Department of Health and Environment is reporting that the total number of abortions done in Kansas dipped in 2007, with the most remarkable decrease in late-term abortions. Those generally decreased by 23 percent while late abortions done after viability dropped 28 percent.

“We fully expected to see a dramatic drop in late-term abortions in Kansas due to the fact that late-term abortionist George Tiller closed his abortion mill to patients for a record 38 days last summer,” said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman. “We believe that closure was a result of a number of factors, including pressure from pro-life groups and criminal charges that were unexpectedly filed against him by the attorney general’s office.”

“We strongly believe in the power of prayer, and last year Operation Rescue hosted three major prayer events outside Tiller’s abortion mill prior to the closure,” said Newman. “We also aggressively brought pressure on Tiller’s abortion business through our tireless investigations, which have exposed what we believe is criminal activity committed by his abortion staff. We publicly released our information and reported it to law enforcement, the legislature, and other disciplinary groups.”

However, the statistics also show an unfortunate increase in the number of abortions done on women who reside in other states. Operation Rescue attributes this increase to the recent closure of several abortion clinics in nearby states.

“This is a good news, bad news situation,” said Newman. “While we are grateful that dangerous abortion mills are closing around the nation, it is unfortunate that Kansas has become a magnet for child-killing. This only adds to Kansas’ reputation of being the Nation’s Abortion Capital.”

Read KDH&E Abortion Reports

To avoid more corruption, OR again calls for appointments to be made by the Legislature

Topeka, KS – Kansas State Senators are calling for massive reforms in the Kansas State Board of Healing Arts that include the firing of Executive Director Larry Buening and Chief Counsel Mark Stafford. This comes in the wake of a four-part series on Board scandals published in the Topeka Capital-Journal.

Last December, Operation Rescue publicly called for the firing of Buening and Stafford and made a number of recommendations for reform to the Kansas Legislature.

The KSBHA as been under fire for slow responses to complaints and inaction, especially related to late-term abortionist George R. Tiller. The final straw came when Federal indictments were issued against another Wichita area doctor who ran what was described as a “pill mill” that may have resulted in the deaths of at least 56 overdose deaths. The KSBHA had been reportedly “investigating” that doctor for four years without action.

Operation Rescue has accused the Board, whose members have been appointed by Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, of corruption and covering up for Tiller’s negligent and criminal behavior.

Operation Rescue filed a complaint against Tiller with the Board for illegal late-term abortions and violating the unaffiliated second physician requirement for post-vaibility abortions in October, 2006. Tiller has since been criminally charged with 19 counts of that same charge, but the Board, while saying their case is progressing, has yet to act.

“The glacial pace of Board ‘investigations’ and the preferential treatment of Tiller are not surprising when you consider that board members gave Gov. Sebelius nearly $25,000 in campaign contributions,” said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman. “Sebelius was initially elected due to hundreds of thousands of dollars in contributions from Tiller. Without his help, Sebelius would not have been elected. Sebelius, who is an extremist supporter of radical abortion rights, has an ‘I’ll scratch your back if you scratch mine’ relationship with the Board of Healing Arts. This is the very definition of corruption.”

“The only way to rid the Board of Healing Arts of ineptitude and duplicity is to remove the ability to appoint members from the governor and place it with the Legislature,” said Newman. “If Sebelius is allowed to appoint replacements for Buening and Stafford, we are simply ignoring the root of the problem and creating a situation that could prove to be even worse.”

Operation Rescue is asking Christians around the nation for special prayer for a meeting that is scheduled to take place on Saturday, March 29, 2008, between pro-lifers and a working abortionist. In order to prevent any efforts to undermine this meeting, we are not able to tell you at this time where the meeting is taking place or who is involved.

This opportunity has been ten years in the works and is the result of much prayer. The abortionist in question is finally at a place where he appears to be open to hearing the truth.

Please join us as we pray that the Christians involved with this meeting will be able to share with wisdom the love of Christ and His love for the innocent, and that as a result, there will be sincere repentance and conversion on the part of the abortionist.