|
2013 KS lEGISLATIVE AGENDA
2013 LEGISLATIVE AGENDA
INCLUDES:
TWO BILLS DEALING WITH THE LEGAL SYSTEM:
-- Changing Kansas state Supreme Court and Appellate court judicial selection:
There are quite a few relevant bills in both chambers. The pro-life priority is ending elitist selection of our top court justices from a secret, unaccountable committee.
KFL has already recommended that the House Judiciary Committee pass out HCR 5002, where the governor selects and the Senate confirms (i.e. federal model) nominees for both courts.
Senate Bill 8 creates a nominations "review" committee of seven which cannot veto the governor's selection but presents an evaluation of the candidate's caliber for the Senate.
This is not about trying to "load" the Court, but about making the selection process more transparent, as evidenced by KFL's support for Senate confirmation in 2006, under a pro-abortion governor.
Changes in the selection method for the Kansas Supreme Court must be passed by a 2/3 majority in both chambers, and approved by a majority in a public vote.
-- Strengthening the citizen grand jury process (no bill number yet):
This bill would allow a grand jury to perform as the government watchdog it was designed to be. KFL will testify as to the provision allowing the grand jury to hear prosecutor recommendations from the petitioner, instead of being immediately commandeered by a local District Attorney. We may also testify to other aspects of the bill.
THREE BILLS DEALING WITH ABORTION:
-- House Bill (no number yet) Pro-life Protections Act:
This bill is similar to the one passed in House last year, without two sections that were made into separate Senate bills (below) and adding a "Life from Conception" bill from last year (uses Missouri preamble language from 1989 Webster ruling about "protectable interests of parent & child").
The Pro-Life Protections Act also includes:
* No tax-funding for abortion or tax advantages for abortionists and their businesses;
* No school district sex-ed materials from, or instruction by staff of, abortion business;
* KDHE women's right-to-know abortion information put into statute.
-- Senate Bill (no number yet) Civil Rights Protection for the Unborn
Part of last year's Pro-life Protections Act, this measure strengthens rights of the unborn, including those with disabilities, in the courtroom regarding lawsuits, and corrects disparities.
* Expands civil lawsuits for wrongful death throughout gestation (instead of after viability) matching the rights of the unborn under Alexa's Law, which allows prosecution for injuries and death of unborn children when the mother is a crime victim;
* Bans lawsuits called wrongful birth/wrongful life that ask for jackpot awards claiming that child would have been aborted if "x" information had been provided (generally these are claims that the doctor made mistakes in testing or did not perform enough tests to detect a fetal disability).
-- Senate bill (no number yet) Sex-selection Abortion Ban
-------------------------------------
NOTE: KFL does not recommend "personhood" or "heartbeat" bills as a strategy at this time. There are good, pro-life reasons for this policy. Our explanations plus comprehensive position papers on the bills listed above are available upon request and will be posted soon at www.kfl.org. Also watch the KFL BLOG for up- to-date info HERE!
-------------------------------------
From time to time, as bills come up and legislator contact is especially important, we will send legislative alerts like this. Please help us add to our email alert constituent list by forwarding, or suggesting links below to friends.To identify and leave a message for your senator and representative now through mid-May (they are off most of April), call the KANSAS LEGISLATIVE HOTLINE anytime 8 AM to 5PM weekdays at: 1-800-432-3924. To identify your elected representatives yourself, and get direct phone numbers to their offices, go to www.kslegislature.org.
You have received this message because you have subscribed to a mailing list of Kansans for Life. If you do not wish to receive periodic emails from this source, please click below to unsubscribe.
|
|
