Gov. Sebelius urged to match ‘record to rhetoric’ by signing ultrasound bill

Wichita, Kan., Mar 19, 2009 / 04:35 am

Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius is being urged to sign new state legislation that would require Kansas abortionists to offer women an ultrasound image or heartbeat record of their unborn child before an abortion procedure. One pro-life advocate said the governor’s refusal to sign the bill would “extinguish” hopes she would work to reduce abortions.

On Tuesday the Kansas Senate voted in favor of the bill by 36 to 2. The “Woman’s Right to Know Act,” S.B. 238, would also require clinics to post signs saying that coerced abortions are illegal.

Both the Senate and the House votes on the bill gave it more than the two-thirds majority support necessary to override a veto, the Kansas City Star reports. Once the legislation is enrolled, Gov. Sebelius will have ten days to sign the law, veto it or allow it to become law by inaction.

Brian Burch, President of the Chicago-based Catholic organization Fidelis, urged the governor to sign the legislation before she attends her confirmation hearings concerning her nomination to become U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services.

“Some pro-life defenders of Gov. Sebelius, including the governor herself have argued that she is open to common sense, bipartisan solutions to reducing the number of abortions,” Burch said. “The Kansas House and Senate have answered their call with this legislation, passed overwhelmingly with bipartisan approval. The Governor has a wonderful chance to match her record with her rhetoric.”

“If the Kansas Governor vetoes this bill, she will not only dash the hopes of her pro-life supporters, but also forfeit any claim to genuinely wanting to help women overcome the tragedy of abortion. Politically, she has no choice but to sign this bill,” Burch claimed.

He reported that bill sponsor and Kansas legislator Rep. Lance Kinzer told him that the central focus of his legislation was to find “true common ground and political consensus” on abortion. The “overwhelming" majority support proved the “good balance” achieved by the bill.

“If there is such a thing as ‘common ground’ on abortion, this is it,” Burch said. “It simply allows women greater access to information about their unborn child.”