Rep. Couture-Lovelady
Rep. Steve Brunk
As grassroots support swells, Kansas is moving quickly to enact the Unborn Child Protection from Dismemberment Abortion Act (SB 95). The bill has already passed in the Senate, 31-9, and a House committee, 14-6.
In a D&E/dismemberment abortion, a living unborn child bleeds to death as she is ripped apart by metal tools inserted inside her mother's womb.
SB 95 takes into consideration some of the reasoning the U.S. Supreme Court used in 2007 in upholding a ban on partial-birth abortions, including this statement:
"Congress stated as follows: 'Implicitly approving such a brutal and inhumane procedure by choosing not to prohibit it will further coarsen society to the humanity of not only newborns, but all vulnerable and innocent human life, making it increasingly difficult to protect such life.' The Act expresses respect for the dignity of human life." [Gonzales v. Carhart, 550 U.S. 124, 156-157]
What appears to be the all-but-inevitable passage of SB 95 has produced such a terror among abortion supporters that they are alleging the bill impinges on OB-GYN healthcare- which is demonstrably untrue. Unable to defend the indefensible, a new low in cynical politics was observed Wednesday. An unwavering pro-abortion Representative tried to use pro-life language as a "poison pill."
In the Kansas House Federal State Affairs committee debate on SB 95, Rep. John Wilson (D-Lawrence), tried -and failed-to sabotage the bill with language drafted to "ban abortions after a heartbeat is detected."
The Planned Parenthood spokeswoman, Elise Higgins, was asked to weigh in by the committee vice-chair, Travis Couture-Lovelady (R-Palco). But she refused to endorse the "Wilson Heartbeat amendment" language.
Couture-Lovelady later told the press , "[Wilson is] a pro-choice representative and he said so, his motive was to kill the bill."
The media labeled Wilson's action as "provocative." It was evident that he wanted pro-life representatives to feel conflicted.
Chairman Steve Brunk (R-Wichita) clarified the "politics" at play, particularly for the freshmen members of the committee. He reminded that legalized abortion is a creation of the Court and even though he was personally supportive of reaching a new benchmark under a Heartbeat ban, such legislation deserved its own hearing as a stand-alone bill after future input from national pro-life legal advisors.
Rep. Joseph Scapa (R-Wichita) asked whether Wilson would support a stand alone Heartbeat bill, but Wilson dodged a direct response. After his insincerity was clarified, the committee voted down the amendment, with some members re-iterating their support for the goal of maximum protection for the unborn.
Rep. Bud Estes (R-Dodge City) pointed out how the debate had strayed from the content of the bill-the inhumane treatment of the unborn child. Of course, this is exactly the aim of abortion advocates who revel in press coverage that replays side issues and ignores talking about what abortionists are doing to unborn children.
SB 95 passed out of the Fed-State committee 14-6 with 2 pro-life committee members absent, and awaits scheduling for debate on the House floor. Legislators are well supported in focusing on the actual cruelty of dismemberment abortion. Speaking on behalf of the majority of the U.S Supreme Court, Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote:
"It is, however, precisely this lack of information concerning the way in which the fetus will be killed that is of legitimate concern to the State...the State may use its regulatory power to bar certain procedures and substitute others, all in furtherance of its legitimate interests in regulating the medical profession in order to promote respect for life, including life of the unborn." [Gonzales v. Carhart, 550 U.S. 124, 158,159]