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Kansas Senate fails by two votes to override veto of anti-abortion bill
By JIM SULLINGERThe Kansas City Star
TOPEKA | The Kansas Senate failed by two votes Wednesday to override the veto of a bill aimed at strengthening late-term abortion laws.
The vote was 25 in favor of the override and 14 against. It takes a two-thirds majority, or 27 Senate votes, to override a governor’s veto.
The fate of the bill has implications for the Johnson County criminal case against Planned Parenthood brought by District Attorney Phill Kline. A judge ruled this week that under current law, state regulators cannot give Kline certain reports about abortions performed in the state or confirm the authenticy of the reports that Kline obtained while he was attorney general.
The vetoed bill, however, would have given district and county attorneys access to such reports. The forms do not contain personal information.
Sen. Tim Huelskamp, a Fowler Republican who led the effort against the veto, said he was disappointed in the outcome.
“This bill would also allow women the opportunity to actually see an ultrasound before an abortion,” he said. “It’s a very pro-woman bill..”
He said the proposal would have helped prevent coerced abortions, particularly for minors.
The measure, House Substitute for SB 389, would have:
•Required the state to collect more detailed diagnoses for why the late-term abortions were needed.
•Allowed relatives of a woman who underwent or planned a late-term abortion to file suit against the provider if they believe the abortion violates the law.
•Permitted the attorney general or district attorneys to prosecute violations either in the county where they happenedeor the woman’s home county. and would have given them access to abortion reports from state health regulators. The forms do not contain personal information.
In her veto message, Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, a Democrat, said she was concernedthat the bill was unconstitutional and would endanger the lives of women.
The bill’s supporters, however, accused the governor of striking down a reasonable bill with unreasonable excuses.
Sebelius said the bill could encourage lawsuits, risk patient privacy and possibly run afoul of court rulings requiring that there be exceptions to restrictions when an abortion is needed to prevent life-threatening injury to a woman.
Here’s how the Kansas City area legislative delegation voted on the override:
To uphold the veto: Barbara Allen, Overland Park; John Vratil, Leawood; David Wysong, Mission Hills, and David Haley and Chris Steineger, both Kansas City, Kan.
To override the veto: Dennis Wilson, Overland Park; Karin Brownlee and Julia Lynn, both of Olathe; Nick Jordan, Shawnee; Roger Pine, Lawrence, and Mark Gilstrap, Kansas City, Kan.