After signing the new abortion ban, Kansas Governor Sam Brownback tweeted this picture saying he was "proud" to sign the bill. (Photo: @GovSamBrownback)
Apr 07, 2015
Flanked by anti-choice advocates and large photos of human fetuses, Kansas Governor Sam Brownback on Tuesday signed into law the nation's first ban on an abortion procedure often considered the safest termination option for some pregnant women.
The new law, which takes effect on July 1, bans the dilation and evacuation (known as D and E) procedure commonly used during a pregnancy's second trimester, and thus effectively bans abortion as early as 14 weeks post-fertilization. According to the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, D and E is the safest means of performing an abortion after that time.
The legislation, which the Republican governor signed during a closed meeting with anti-choice lobbyists, was drafted by the national anti-choice group the National Right to Life Committee and specifically terms the method as "dismemberment abortion." RH Reality Checknotes that such language is "key" to NRLC's strategy, which is to "pack the bills with graphic, medically inaccurate language describing the D and E procedure."
In a statement, Laura McQuade, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Kansas and Mid-Missouri, said the organization is "disappointed but not surprised" by the signing of SB95, "which was written not by physicians and medical experts, but by a national interest group bent on banning abortion across the country."
McQuade added that "Kansas is now not only the sole state with this atrocious law; it also now has more restrictions on abortion than any state in the US."
Similar legislation is currently under consideration in other Republican-dominated states including Oklahoma, Missouri, and South Carolina, with bills pending in Missouri and South Carolina. Critics of the rule say it is another signal of the GOP's increasing "War on Women."
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Lauren McCauley
Lauren McCauley is a former senior editor for Common Dreams covering national and international politics and progressive news. She is now the Editor of Maine Morning Star. Lauren also helped produce a number of documentary films, including the award-winning Soundtrack for a Revolution and The Hollywood Complex, as well as one currently in production about civil rights icon James Meredith. Her writing has been featured on Newsweek, BillMoyers.com, TruthDig, Truthout, In These Times, and Extra! the newsletter of Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting. She currently lives in Kennebunk, Maine with her husband, two children, a dog, and several chickens.
Flanked by anti-choice advocates and large photos of human fetuses, Kansas Governor Sam Brownback on Tuesday signed into law the nation's first ban on an abortion procedure often considered the safest termination option for some pregnant women.
The new law, which takes effect on July 1, bans the dilation and evacuation (known as D and E) procedure commonly used during a pregnancy's second trimester, and thus effectively bans abortion as early as 14 weeks post-fertilization. According to the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, D and E is the safest means of performing an abortion after that time.
The legislation, which the Republican governor signed during a closed meeting with anti-choice lobbyists, was drafted by the national anti-choice group the National Right to Life Committee and specifically terms the method as "dismemberment abortion." RH Reality Checknotes that such language is "key" to NRLC's strategy, which is to "pack the bills with graphic, medically inaccurate language describing the D and E procedure."
In a statement, Laura McQuade, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Kansas and Mid-Missouri, said the organization is "disappointed but not surprised" by the signing of SB95, "which was written not by physicians and medical experts, but by a national interest group bent on banning abortion across the country."
McQuade added that "Kansas is now not only the sole state with this atrocious law; it also now has more restrictions on abortion than any state in the US."
Similar legislation is currently under consideration in other Republican-dominated states including Oklahoma, Missouri, and South Carolina, with bills pending in Missouri and South Carolina. Critics of the rule say it is another signal of the GOP's increasing "War on Women."
Lauren McCauley
Lauren McCauley is a former senior editor for Common Dreams covering national and international politics and progressive news. She is now the Editor of Maine Morning Star. Lauren also helped produce a number of documentary films, including the award-winning Soundtrack for a Revolution and The Hollywood Complex, as well as one currently in production about civil rights icon James Meredith. Her writing has been featured on Newsweek, BillMoyers.com, TruthDig, Truthout, In These Times, and Extra! the newsletter of Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting. She currently lives in Kennebunk, Maine with her husband, two children, a dog, and several chickens.
Flanked by anti-choice advocates and large photos of human fetuses, Kansas Governor Sam Brownback on Tuesday signed into law the nation's first ban on an abortion procedure often considered the safest termination option for some pregnant women.
The new law, which takes effect on July 1, bans the dilation and evacuation (known as D and E) procedure commonly used during a pregnancy's second trimester, and thus effectively bans abortion as early as 14 weeks post-fertilization. According to the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, D and E is the safest means of performing an abortion after that time.
The legislation, which the Republican governor signed during a closed meeting with anti-choice lobbyists, was drafted by the national anti-choice group the National Right to Life Committee and specifically terms the method as "dismemberment abortion." RH Reality Checknotes that such language is "key" to NRLC's strategy, which is to "pack the bills with graphic, medically inaccurate language describing the D and E procedure."
In a statement, Laura McQuade, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Kansas and Mid-Missouri, said the organization is "disappointed but not surprised" by the signing of SB95, "which was written not by physicians and medical experts, but by a national interest group bent on banning abortion across the country."
McQuade added that "Kansas is now not only the sole state with this atrocious law; it also now has more restrictions on abortion than any state in the US."
Similar legislation is currently under consideration in other Republican-dominated states including Oklahoma, Missouri, and South Carolina, with bills pending in Missouri and South Carolina. Critics of the rule say it is another signal of the GOP's increasing "War on Women."
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