Topeka, KS – A bill is headed to the desk of Kansas Gov. Mark Parkinson that will require abortionists to report the specific diagnosis used to justify abortions after 21 weeks. The measure passed out of the Senate on Tuesday.
The bill would supply a layer of accountability to abortionists who have used a mental health exception to the Kansas ban on post-viability abortions to conduct late-term abortions for trivial reasons.
Kansas law now states that abortions after viability can only be done if the pregnancy presents a “substantial and irreversible impairment to a major bodily function” of the pregnant woman, which has been interpreted to include mental health risks. In the past, abortionists have only reported that late-term abortions were done for “mental health” reasons. This has prevented law enforcement from ascertaining whether the abortions were done in compliance with the law.
“While we believe that no post-viability abortions are currently being conducted in Kansas, this law will save lives by having the effect of keeping out any late-term abortionist who may be considering moving here,” said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman. “Abortionists hate accountability and will be more apt go to a state with less-specific laws.”
A similar bill was vetoed last year by then-Gov. Kathleen Sebelius. Parkinson, an abortion supporter, is also expected to veto the legislation. An attempt to override a veto is also expected.
TAKE ACTION! Contact Gov. Parkinson and ask him to sign House Bill 2115. E-mail form; Voice: 877-579-6757.
Also last night, a Nebraska law received first round approval that would ban abortions in that state after 20 weeks gestation. That law, the first of its kind, would prohibit abortions based on when the pre-born baby can feel pain.
While late-term abortionist LeRoy Carhart has vowed to challenge the new law, Nebraska Attorney General Jon Bruning has indicated that he will aggressively defend it to the U.S. Supreme Court, if necessary, where the law is expected to be upheld.
“Carhart was one of the abortionists who was taking advantage of Kansas loopholes that allowed late-term abortions for frivolous mental health reasons,” said Newman. “He boasted that he would be continuing that practice in Nebraska. This new law will effectively shut down Carhart’s late-term abortion business in Nebraska, which supplies the profit margin that his clinic operates on. It may have the effect of closing Carhart’s Bellevue operation altogether.”
Operation Rescue conducted a successful campaign to keep Carhart from continuing late-term abortions in Kansas after the Tiller family made the decision to permanently close Women’s Health Care Services in Wichita, where Carhart was employed.