Press Release
May 4, 2012
By Kathy Ostrowski, KFL Legislative Director 1-785-250-4502
KS House Gives First Round Approval to Pro-Life Protections Act!
--Recorded/Final House Vote Monday
After nearly 3 hours of debate, the Kansas House passed House substitute 62, an "abortion omnibus" measure that bans sex-selection abortions, removes tax-funding for abortion, and strengthens the civil rights of the unborn. The House will take the final vote on Monday. Passage is expected, and it will head to the Senate in the waning days of the session.
Rep. John Rubin (R-Shawnee) led the defense of the bill, with help from Rep. Steve Brunk (R-Wichita). A last-minute attempt to allow abortion training for ob/gyn residents at the University of Kansas medical school was attacked by Rep. Lance Kinzer (R-Olathe) who accused the University of reneging on a done deal. When Kinzer said "it is not the public policy of Kansas to pay residents to kill babies" the chamber erupted in applause--from legislators!
Rep. Kasha Kelly, (R-Arkansas City) speaking "on behalf of the children" closed out the pro-life support for the bill by reading the state statistics of children killed each year by abortion in Kansas from 2000 to 2011.
The Pro-Life Protections Act (H sub 313) includes these provisions:
I. No taxpayer funding for abortion:
a. denies any tax-funded streams for the payment of abortion,
b. denies tax advantages for businesses that perform abortions, and
c. denies KU-Med tax-funded abortion training of resident/physicians.
II. Upholds the protectable legal rights of the unborn:
a. bans abortion for reason of the child’s gender,
b. extends civil litigation on behalf of the unborn child throughout gestation, to match that of
criminal prosecution in Alexa’s Law, and
c. upholds human dignity by denying wrongful birth & wrongful life as a cause of action.
III. Upholds the protectable rights of parents to accurate medical information:
a. prevents school districts from contracting with entities providing abortions,
b. prevents those entities and their materials from involvement with student sex-ed classes,
c. adds information to the anti-coercion sign posted (since 2009), inside abortion clinics, and
d. codifies KDHE “Women’s Right to Know” informed consent materials.
Special thanks to Rep. John Rubin (R-Shawnee), Rep. Steve Brunk (R-Wichita), Rep. Kasha Kelley (R-Arkansas City) and Rep. Lance Kinzer (R-Olathe).
