Kansas State Rep. Kasha Kelly
By Kathy Ostrowski, KFL Legislative Director
The Pro-Life Protections Act passed the Kansas House 88-31 today on final action. The bill would:
*end tax advantages for businesses that perform abortion,
* stop tax-funding for abortion including abortion training at KU Med school,
* ban sex-selection abortion,
*uphold the civil rights of the unborn throughout gestation to match their protection in criminal law,
*protect the rights of parents to accurate medical information about childbirth.
“This common sense bill simply insures women have access to medical information compiled by Kansas health department professionals, protects human dignity in civil law, prevents Kansas taxpayers from subsidizing abortion, and poses zero threat to medical school accreditation,” said Kansans for Life executive director, Mary Kay Culp.
The legislature is in the closing days of the session, but with numerous outstanding budget-related issues, it may drag on for weeks. Senate President Steve Morris, a Hugoton Republican, “said he would decide later in the week what to do with the bill and how it will proceed as the session nears the conclusion of its 90-day limit on Friday,” according to Associated Press reporter John Milburn. Gov. Sam Brownback has promised to sign any pro-life bill that reaches his desk.
The vote today followed nearly three hours of debate on Friday. Rep. John Rubin (R) led the defense of the bill, with help from Rep. Steve Brunk (R). A last-minute attempt to backtrack on language about the University of Kansas medical school abortion training was criticized by Rep. Lance Kinzer (R).
Kinzer 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) speaking “on behalf of the children” closed out the pro-life support by reading each year’s state statistic, from 2000 to 2011, of children killed by abortion in Kansas, totaling 128,732 individuals, or “36 graduating classes for her district.”
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