Some historically bad bills are sitting on the desk of Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback.
Many were partly a result of the Republican governor’s urging, and there is little reason to think he will veto them.
But he should. For the next few days we will highlight some of the Legislature’s most destructive measures. Call it our fantasy veto session.
House Bill No. 2253
What it is: One of the most punitive abortion bills in the nation.
What it does: Builds on restrictive Kansas law from past years, placing additional financial hardships on women, forcing doctors to disseminate misleading information and possibly putting schools in a precarious legal position.
No one could claim any kind of tax break if it were affiliated with abortion. Even a women who required an abortion as a life-saving medical procedure would not be able to deduct the often steep medical expenses on her Kansas income taxes. Abortion providers would be unable to deduct the same expenses as other medical providers.
Doctors would have to inform women of a possible link between abortion and breast cancer, even though reliable medical studies have debunked that connection.
The bill also bans abortions based on the sex of the fetus, placing physicians in the perilous position of trying to determine a patient’s motives.
School districts would have to ascertain that any group providing course materials or instruction on human sexuality was not affiliated in any way with providing abortions. Schools also would have to make sure that an employee who volunteered at a facility associated even indirectly with abortions was not involved in sex education.
Problems ahead: The bill follows the lead of Missouri and several other states in declaring that the life of a human being begins at “fertilization.” With that as the groundwork, some lawmakers say they will now push for a law making abortion illegal as soon as a fetal heartbeat is discerned, about six weeks into pregnancy. That would almost certainly draw the state into a prolonged legal challenge.
Bottom line: House Bill 2253 is intended to harass abortion providers, patients and other entities, like schools, which are caught in the middle. It is disrespectful of science and makes assumptions without evidence. It is not thoughtful legislation, intrudes on private medical decisions and should be vetoed.
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