Sebelius Vetoes Late-term Abortion Regulations

Late-term abortionist George Tiller's Governor Kathleen Sebelius -- the Obama's appointee for Health and Human Services Secretary today vetoed a bill that would have required abortionists to report the specific reasons for post-viability abortions, reinforcing her reputation as a pro-abortion extremist.

Here is what she vetoed today as specified by Kansans for Life.

HB218 increases physician accountability. It:

1) clarifies late-term abortion medical diagnoses be reported instead of phony answers;

• must report medical method used to arrive at fetal gestational age,

• amplifies description of medical diagnosis required on state medical board form,

• gives the state medical board additional rule-making authority needed for reporting,

• allows lawsuits for intentional physician misreporting,

• gives prosecutorial authority to AG or DA where constituent criminal acts occurred.

2) requires, not permits, state medical board to revoke license for late-term conviction;

• revocation can still can be overridden by 2/3 state medical board members.

3) helps women be better protected from unneeded abortions approved by physicians working for the abortionist [exemplified by the illicit collaboration that the state Board of Healing Arts, March 27, asserted about George Tiller, in their current pursuit to revoke his medical license]:

• requires that woman receive written diagnosis of medical condition 30 minutes before abortion,

• State medical board report will add name of second referring doctor and sworn statement from both doctors that they aren't affiliated,

• woman and spouse (or parent/guardian for minor) may sue for criminal late-term abortion.

Operation Rescue reports: Sebelius’ veto will benefit only one abortionist in the state, and that is her political benefactor George Tiller. The bill would have required him to give the specific diagnosis used to justify a post-viability abortion. Kansas law requires that such abortions can only be done if the continuation of the pregnancy will result in “substantial and irreversible impairment to a major bodily function” of the pregnant woman.


Here are some comments with Mary Kay Culp, Executive Director of Kansans for Life, about this veto:

Health Nominee Veto Sickening

If this confirmation goes forward, George Tiller will have a friend, not only in the highest office in Kansas as he likes to brag, but heading the highest health office in the land, and knowing what we know, we think that ought to make every American sick.

Governor Sebelius, like her friend Napolitano, is extremely liberal, but especially so on late-term abortion, end of life issues and cloning.

As always her reasons sound high-minded, but are in fact empty claims. This bill was thoughtfully drafted as a mirror image of the federal ban upheld in the April 2007 U.S. Supreme Court/Gonzales v Carhart/ decision. Sebelius reference to the 1997 Sixth circuit decision is outdated, and the "brain-suction" law examined by that appeals court was not nearly as clear as Hsub 218. What she did today is sickening. It's a slap in the face to Kansas lawmakers, and also now to many U.S. Senators, and indeed to the country as a whole.

The fact that we are not surprised is borne out by the fact that the 24 page newsletter being received by our members' across the state today (and already posted on our web site www.kfl.org), is mostly devoted to the possible veto, and action steps to urge legislators to override it.