Topeka, KS (LifeNews.com) -- Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, the abortion advocate President Barack Obama picked to become his Health Secretary, signed a bill allowing women to see an ultrasound of their unborn child before an abortion. Pro-life advocates say Sebelius only signed the bill for political considerations.

Though she has a long record of vetoing pro-life bills and a close relationship with embattled late-term abortion practitioner George Tiller, Sebelius is trying to moderate her image so the Senate will approve her nomination.

Sebelius quietly signed the bill late Friday to avoid major media attention and pro-life groups point out that the bill was approved with a two-thirds majority in both houses of the Kansas legislature.

Had she vetoed the bill, Sebelius would have found herself overridden by state legislators who want to do more to reduce the number of abortions in Kansas.

Kansans for Life legislative director Kathy Ostrowski initially told LifeNews.com she thought Sebelius would sign the bill to avoid criticism from pro-life advocates during her confirmation vote.

"Sebelius signed the Woman’s Right to Know and See act today, knowing it had passed by veto-proof majorities in the House and Senate," she said.

The ultrasound bill is a new type of legislation that nearly 20 states have quickly approved because of the success pregnancy centers have had in helping women find abortion alternatives using ultrasounds.

"This is a wonderful bill insuring a woman can have access to the sonogram of her unborn child and helping stop coercion at abortion clinics," Ostrowski said. "This bill will insure that women in abortion clinics are not denied the modern medical information other women receive in ordinary obstetric settings."

The bill says women must be given information about the ultrasound 24 hours prior to the abortion.

The bill also requires an abortion practitioner to provide the woman with a list of places where she can obtain a free ultrasound and that any ultrasound done at the abortion center must be completed 30 minutes prior to the abortion.

Rep. Lance Kinzer was the leading sponsor of the legislation, that he says “promotes a woman’s physical and psychological health and advances the state’s important and legitimate interest in protecting fetal life.”

The bill also requires abortion centers to post an “anti-coercion” sign making it clear that women do not have to have an abortion for which they do not consent. The sign is a response to research from the Elliot Institute showing anywhere from 40-60 percent of abortions are done on women who are pressured or coerced by a husband, boyfriend, or someone else.

“Every woman submitting to an abortion should only do so after giving her voluntary and well-informed consent,” Kinzer told the paper.

The Senate showdown on Sebelius' nomination will take place this week when the Senate HELP Committee will hold its hearing and the Senate Finance Committee will hold a hearing as well.

Related web sites:
Kansas Legislature - http://www.kslegislature.org
Kansans for Life - http://www.kfl.org

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