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Lawmaker to Pursue Ban on Specific Abortion Procedure

State Senator Garrett Love. (Photo by Stephen Koranda)
State Senator Garrett Love. (Photo by Stephen Koranda)

An anti-abortion group and a Kansas state senator say they’ll pursue a bill to ban one type of abortion procedure in Kansas. The bill would bar dilation and extraction abortions. The legislation calls it “dismemberment abortion.” The group Kansans for Life joined Republican state Senator Garrett Love, from Montezuma, who will sponsor the bill.


“We hear most from the people who are impacted the most by our decisions. But when it comes to the innocent lives of unborn children, there’s a problem. They can’t speak for themselves,” says Love.

Kansans for Life says Kansas is the first state to pursue a ban on this type of procedure, which accounts for about 8 percent of abortions in the state. A spokesperson for Planned Parenthood, Elise Higgins, calls the bill “clearly unconstitutional.” She says Kansas women don’t need more abortion restrictions, but instead need access to high-quality health care services.

(VERSION TWO)


Abortion opponents in Kansas want lawmakers to ban one type of abortion procedure. The group Kansans for Life and a state senator will pursue a bill to ban dilation and extraction abortion, which the legislation calls “dismemberment abortion.” KPR’s Stephen Koranda reports.

(Script)
Republican Kansas state Senator Garrett Love says the bill is written to survive a court challenge. It’s patterned after the partial birth abortion ban upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court.

“That’s exactly what this is doing, it’s saying this is a type of abortion that we’re not going to have in Kansas. That’s exactly why we feel it would be upheld if it was challenged,” say Love.

A spokesperson for Planned Parenthood, Elise Higgins, says they will offer a legal challenge. She says Kansas has more restrictions on abortion than almost any other state.

“Kansas women, in particular, don’t need more abortion bans. They need health care and support and access to high quality services,” says Higgins.

Around 8 percent of abortions in Kansas use the procedure.

Stephen Koranda is KPR's Statehouse reporter.