Abortion Bill Wins Approval by Kansas Legislature
The Legislature approved a bill placing abortion clinics under the regulation of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. Supporters in both houses are preparing to override an expected veto from the governor.
The Senate approved a bill strengthening regulation of abortion clinics in Kansas on Friday.
The bill, called the Women’s Health Protection Act, sets minimum health and safety standards for abortion clinics and changes the regulating facility for abortion clinics from the Board of Healing Arts to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.
The measure passed by a 27 to 12 vote in the Senate. Earlier in the week, the House passed the bill by a vote of 87 to 36. Both houses have more than the required number of votes for an override if Governor Kathleen Sebelius vetoes the bill.
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A supporter of abortion rights, Sebelius vetoed a similar bill in 2003. Sebelius is likely to do the same this year, unless the language is changed for a broader application of the new regulations.
“I think having a set of standards that is put together by doctors and applies across the board makes very good sense, and I would love that to reach my desk,” said Sebelius.
A proposal for broader regulation was brought to the Senate floor on Thursday, but was rejected by a 20 to 19 vote.
Critics of the bill charge that its supporters, consisting largely of pro-life groups, are seeking tighter regulation with the motive to ultimately close down abortion clinics. Abortion rights activists hope that the bill is blocked by a veto from Sebelius.
Backers of the measure say that current regulation is weak and endangers the health and lives of women. On Friday, the Senate also passed a bill requiring abortion clinics to take fetal tissue samples from aborted babies by women under 14 years of age. The tissue samples would be used for child molestation investigations. The bill awaits approval by the House.
