Kansas Moves to Ban Late-Term Abortions

Kansas State Representative Arlen Siegfried (R), the chairman of the Kansas House Federal and State Affairs Committee, announced that he will fight for a bill banning all abortions after the 21st week of pregnancy. While the bill would include an exception for cases in which a pregnant woman’s life is threatened, a fetus may only be aborted if two doctors agree the pregnancy would cause "substantial and irreversible" damage to a major bodily function, including mental health. Such a bill would also leave out any exemptions for pregnant women who are survivors of rape or incest. Rep. Siegfried clarified his intent to narrowly write the bill, stating, "We have to remove as many of those exceptions as we possibly can," the Associated Press reports.

Rep. Siegfried is a strong supporter of former Attorney General Phill Kline (R), who filed 30 misdemeanor criminal charges against Dr. George Tiller, one of the few doctors who perform late-term abortions in the US. While the charges were soon thrown out and Kline lost in a reelection race to Attorney General Paul Morrison, an abortion rights Democrat, Rep. Siegfried continues to push for criminal charges against Tiller and to limit reproductive rights. "My personal preference is -- and I'm researching the constitutionality of -- just banning all abortions after the 21st week in the state of Kansas," he stated at a news conference, the AP reports.

Media Resources: AP 6/26/07; Capital-Journal 6/26/07; FMF

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