Kansas Legislators May Vote Tuesday on Revised Abortion Bill Sebelius Vetoed
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by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
May 5, 2008
Topeka, KS (LifeNews.com) — Kansas legislators may vote on Tuesday on a revised version of a bill to limit abortions that Gov. Kathleen Sebelius vetoed. The legislature failed to override Sebelius’ veto of the original measure, which limits teen abortions, forced abortions and gives women information on fetal development.
Last week, the Kansas Senate failed by two votes to overturn the veto. The vote would have failed by one but a pro-life lawmaker was absent at the time of the debate.
The Comprehensive Abortion Reform Act failed on a 25-14 vote and, had Senator Emler been there, the Senate would have been one shy of the 27 votes needed.
The House approved the legislation on a veto-proof majority, so a victory in the Senate would have meant the measure would likely have become law.
Lawmakers have revised the measure to address Sebelius’ concerns and Kansans for Life is urging the legislature to approved the revised bill and get it to the governor’s desk before a likely adjournment Tuesday.
"Rep. Lance Kinzer, original author of the Comprehensive Abortion Reform Act, has revised the CARA bill to conform to the Governor’s criticisms that she noted in her veto message," KFL director Mary Kay Culp told LifeNews.com.
Culp says the legislature has a chance to override the veto if Sebelius rejects the new version.
"After adjournment on Tuesday, the legislators will leave and come back for one day towards the end of May," she explained. "If the Governor has vetoed the new CARA, that is the day the override attempts will take place."
The legislation would provide for better enforcement of the late-term abortion laws there and reduce teen abortion.
It covers 17 areas of abortion law meant to limit the number of abortions, give women more information and protect parental rights. And it allows lawsuits against abortion practitioners who may be violating state abortion law.
The proposed law would allow women to see an ultrasound of their unborn child and would help prevent forced abortions.
The measure includes the Teen Protection Act, which the Kansas House approved in 2006 on a bipartisan vote.
It targets criminals who sexually abuse teenagers and take them for abortions to cover up their crimes. As a result, the bill makes judges in parental notice bypass hearings become mandatory abuse reporters.
The measure also requires abortion businesses to check IDs of minors and companions, report child sexual abuse to state officials, report incest to law enforcement, and notify the custodial parent of a pregnant minor’s intended abortion.
Related web sites:
Kansas Legislature – htpp://www.kslegislature.org
Kansas Senate – https://www.kslegislature.org/legsrv-senate/index.do
Kansas House – https://www.kslegislature.org/legsrv-house/index.do
Kansans for Life – https://www.kfl.org
