Kansas Attorney General Upset With Pro-Life Groups on Abortion Panel

State   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Sep 6, 2007   |   9:00AM   |   WASHINGTON, DC

Kansas Attorney General Upset With Pro-Life Groups on Abortion Panel Email this article
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by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
September 6,
2007

Topeka, KS (LifeNews.com) — Kansas Attorney General Paul Morrison is accusing pro-life groups of hindering his case against late-term abortion practitioner George Tiller. Tiller has been charged with doing illegal late-term abortions, but pro-life groups say the pro-abortion state attorney isn’t doing enough to prosecute him.

A legislative panel is examining the issue of the state’s late-term abortion law and its enforcement and Morrison is upset about it.

And statewide pro-life group Kansans for Life turned in 8,000 petitions today to request a grand jury to investigate more possible violations regarding Tiller’s abortions.

Lawmakers reviewed a DVD featuring Dr. Paul McHugh, a leading psychology professor at Johns Hopkins University who reviewed abortion files for former Attorney General Phill Kline. Kline had charged Tiller with more extensive violations of the law that pro-life advocates were upset Morrison dropped in his charges.

The interview, produced by the pro-life group Kansans for Life, featuring McHugh saying he reviewed the abortion files and found that none of them complied with the state law because the abortions were done for non-medical reasons.

Morrison says he opposed showing the interview because lawmakers would not have a chance to question McHugh. He also says McHugh is still on the official list of witnesses and shouldn’t be talking in public about the abortion records.

During the panel discussion, Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley and Rep. Annie Kuether, both Democrats, objected to showing the DVD.

Mary Kay Culp, executive director of Kansans for Life, told AP that Morrison’s concerns are "a stalling tactic with some really serious consequences."

"It’s like a maze," she said. "Every time you think you’ve found a way out, the door is slammed in your face."