Kansas House Committee OKs Abortion-Parental Rights Bill

State   |   Kathy Ostrowski   |   Feb 11, 2011   |   10:03AM   |   Topeka, KS

Thursday afternoon, the House Federal State Affairs committee passed HB 2035, the Abortion Reporting Accuracy and Parental Rights Act. Committee members Judith Loganbill (D-Wichita), Sean Gatewood (D-Topeka) and Ponca-We Victors (D-Wichita) voted against passage while two other abortion-supporting members were absent.

The Abortion Reporting Accuracy and Parental Rights Act reflects that parents should be counseling and protecting their underage pregnant daughters. 

An identical bill has been filed in the Senate, SB 146, by Senators Mark Taddiken (R- Clifton) and Terry Bruce (R-Hutchinson).
 
Under the Abortion Reporting Accuracy and Parental Rights Act, HB 2035/SB 146, if minors apply to court to bypass their parents, the judge in the proceeding should use a strong standard of “clear & convincing” evidence; prepare an adequate court record of why the girl is circumventing her parents; be allowed to order counseling for the minor; and be required to inform authorities if abuse is suspected.

The Abortion Reporting Accuracy and Parental Rights Act, HB 2035/SB 146, also governs the reporting of late abortions with provisions that were vetoed 3 times by abortion-supporting past governors Kathleen Sebelius and Mark Parkinson.  

During the bill’s hearing on Jan. 27, the House Federal State Affairs committee asked the lobbyist for Kansas’ Planned Parenthood whether predators are able to hide their crimes by escorting minors through abortion clinics. 

The lobbyist claimed staffers have a short period of time alone with the minor, without her adult companion, implying that the minor would be carefully assessed for coercion/abuse.

But that answer has no credibility in light of four years of undercover videos — six revealed this past week — showing Planned Parenthood willing to break minimal state laws instituted to protect children from predatory sex. Some 16 hidden camera videos from Live Action show Planned Parenthood’s nationwide commitment to selling abortions while skirting parental consent laws, citing unscientific information to manipulate women to have abortions, helping sex traffickers obtain abortions for the underage girls, and offering insurance-paid services through tax payer funded programs even if the underage girls are not U.S. citizens.

Most pro-life bills for this Kansas legislative session now have been filed and Kansans for Life will be monitoring them.