TOPEKA — Kansas Republicans haven’t discussed new abortion legislation yet, but they do plan to address the subject when the legislative session starts in January.
During Tuesday’s GOP caucus meeting to nominate new House of Representatives leadership, House Majority Leader Dan Hawkins said he hadn’t had any discussions about a potential 15-week abortion ban that some anti-abortion activist groups have been advocating ahead of the legislative session.
The newly nominated leadership has shifted further to the right, and Hawkins said he anticipates more conservative proposals than usual this session.
Hawkins said that he knew groups like Kansans For Life were pushing for legislation similar to the “Born Alive” bill, a which has been rejected in other states for being too restrictive. The legislation essentially requires medical providers to attempt to save any children born prematurely or born alive after an attempted abortion. Critics have called this bill unnecessary and potentially harmful for medical providers.
“I have talked with, certainly with KFL. And the coalition that really worked on Value Them Both, they certainly would like to see the ‘Born Alive’ bill attempted, bring that out. To say that there’s not going to be any other abortion bills is wrong. Everybody’s free to bring whatever they want when it comes to bills. So we’ll see those,” Hawkins said.
Hawkins said legislation involving funding crisis pregnancy centers might also come up.
“That’s certainly something that we will probably look at. Certainly, you know, you want to prevent unwanted pregnancies versus abortion. So that’s certainly someplace we can look at,” Hawkins said.
Rep. Vic Miller, D-Topeka, said he didn’t know what anti-abortion legislation Republicans were planning to introduce in the upcoming legislative session, but said he was prepared to fight it.
“I think the people spoke very clearly in August about what they wanted to do on that subject, and it was not a ban. It was an absolute vote rejecting a ban,” Miller said.
Rep. Valdenia Winn, D-Kansas City, said she expected to see anti-abortion legislation such as a 15-week abortion ban or restrictions on physician licenses. Winn plans on working with her community to fight restrictive abortion measures.
“We work through our constituents and those communities that voted down that amendment,” Winn said.
Debate about abortion has been constant since the August amendment was shot down by Kansas voters, but discussions have ramped up as the legislative session approaches. Outside the House of Representatives during the Tuesday caucus meeting, anti-abortion advocates stood holding signs and made appearances with their children on the balcony inside the House.
“We’re letting people know that abortion is unconstitutional, that all people have the right to life liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Right now the pre-born in Kansas are being slaughtered and they’re not given equal protection under the law and the Constitution, which they rightfully have,” Keeling said.
A Kansas judge has blocked a 2011 law preventing women from accessing abortion medication via telemedicine, in a move abortion providers called a step in the right direction. The state still has many other abortion restrictions in place.
Kansas abortion laws have been criticized by abortion-rights advocates as unnecessarily restrictive. State law requires patients to undergo an ultrasound before the abortion procedure, with the provider instructed to offer to show the image to the patient.
