From the Gallery
State Legislation
The Kansas Legislature is in full swing with the usual flurry of bills, and rhetoric. There are quite a few new faces in the Legislature and a full contingent of new faces in the Executive branch of Kansas government. We welcome all of them and pledge to work with them in educating, praying and enlisting their action.
Prayer is Needed
We started off the session with prayer . . . an event planned by the Topeka prayer chapter under the guidance of Denise Cochran, Theresa Gartner and Marcia Kessler. They along with Capitol Ministries and the Kansas Family Policy Council planned a Prayer on the Hill event. This was a 12-hour prayer and praise opportunity during the swearing-in of our executive and legislative branches. In spite of snowy and bitterly cold weather, it was well-attended; the prayers of the people and those who govern us went up to God in a shower of praise.
HB 2035, The Abortion Reporting Accuracy and Parental Rights Act
New legislation was introduced on Wednesday . . . another snowy and blustery day . . . by Representave Lance Kinzer (R-Olathe) and 63 bi-partisan co-sponsors. It will be heard in the House Federal & State Affairs Committee this week on Wednesday, January 26th at 1:30. This is similar to bills passed in previous years that were vetoed by Governors Sebelius and Parkinson.
The bill provides:
- Enhanced reporting of evidence of sexual abuse of minors seeking abortions.
- Law-enforcement access to the Kansas Department of Health and Human Services reports (KDHE).
- Clarification of the KDHE's rule and regulation authority relating to late-term abortion reporting.
- Disclosure of a Disclosure of a specific medical diagnosis to justify the abortion on a viable, unborn baby.
- A requirement that the doctor must notify the woman of the specific medical diagnosis.
- A parental consent requirement for both parents in a stable intact family with no abuse.
- Clarification of the standards by which courts can grant exceptions (judicial by-pass) to the parental consent requirement.
- Requirement that there must be good faith medical determinations that the mother will suffer substantial and irreversible impairment to justify the abortion of a viable unborn baby.
- Enhancement of the informed consent information to include a disclosure of the fact that an abortion terminates the life of a human being.
- A civil cause of action for the violation of late-term restrictions.
- An update of the existing Kansas partial-birth abortion ban to more closely mirror the more stringent Federal ban.
Action:
It is imperative that you contact members of the House Federal & State Affairs Committee and urge them to support this important bill.
House Federal & State Affairs Committee Members:
Steve Brunk, chair
Joe Patton, vice-chair
Judith Loganbill, ranking minority member
Benny Boman
Elaine Bowers
Richard Carlson
Rocky Fund
Mario Goico
Terri Lois Gregory
Amanda Grosserode
Mitch Holmes
Steve Huebert
Mike Kiegerl
Forrest Knox
Connie O'Brien
Charlotte O'Hara
John Rubin
Joe Seiwert
Broderick Henderson
Ponka-We Victors
Sean Gatewood
Kathy Wolfe Moore
Mike Peterson
Concerned Women for America of Kansas
P. O. Box 11233
Shawnee Mission, KS 66207
Phone/Fax: 913-491-1380
Email: director@kansas.cwfa.org
Web site: kansas.cwfa.org
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