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Kansas Legislature Fails to Override Abortion Bill Veto

The Kansas state House failed to override Governor Mark Parkinson’s (D) veto on an anti-choice bill Friday. Parkinson vetoed the bill, which would have altered the definition of a viable fetus and require medical documentation for a late-term abortion, in April. According to the Associated Press, the state House failed to achieve the two-thirds majority required to override the veto by just two votes. Republican members of the state House are reportedly considering moving to reconsider the vote Monday. If a new vote is successful, an override would still require a two-thirds majority vote in the state Senate. State Representative Judy Loganbill (D) told the Kansas City Star that “We come up here and we battle this every single year [and] It’s time we just say no. We have a good strong law in the State of Kansas now. Let’s keep it.” Current Kansas law considers a fetus to be viable outside the womb at the 21st week of pregnancy and states that an abortion is legal “as long as [the] fetus is not viable…and mother’s informed consent [is] obtained.” The law also states that “abortion of [a] viable fetus [is] permitted if [a] 2nd M.D. certifies that abortion is necessary to preserve life of mother or [if the] fetus has severe, life-threatening deformity or abnormality.” When he vetoed the legislation, Governor Parkinson said that the current law “strikes a reasonable balance on a very difficult issue,” reported the Capitol Journal. There have been no known late abortions in Kansas since the murder of Dr. George Tiller last year. Scott Roeder was convicted of the murder in March and sentenced to 50 years in prison without the possibility of parole.

Sources:

Kansas City Star 4/30/10; Associated Press 4/30/10; Kansas Capitol-Journal 4/16/10; Feminist Daily Newswire 4/16/10, 4/2/10

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