TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A national group's push to redefine and outlaw an abortion procedure is advancing in Kansas. The state Senate voted 31-9 today (FRI) to approve model legislation drafted by the National Right to Life Committee. The group unveiled the proposal in Kansas last month. The measure bans what doctors call the dilation and evacuation procedure used in about 8 percent of the abortions in Kansas and redefines it as "dismemberment abortion." Abortion rights advocates say the procedure can be the safest way to perform an abortion in the second trimester, but the ban could outlaw some earlier abortions. The bill goes next to the House. Republican Governor Sam Brownback is a strong abortion opponent and has pledged to sign the measure if it clears the GOP-dominated Legislature.
