Washington D.C., Apr 24, 2009 / 22:54 pm
Kansas Governor and HHS Secretary nominee Kathleen Sebelius has vetoed a bill that would change a state law further regulating late-term abortions. The veto prompted much protest from pro-life leaders as Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele said her nomination should be withdrawn if questions about her stand on abortion are not answered.
The bill, S. 218, would have required late-term abortionists to report additional information on the killing procedures to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. It also would have allowed women or girls who later believed their abortions to be illegal to sue the abortionist.
Under the proposed change, women’s husbands or minors’ parents or guardians would have been able sue if they believed the abortion was illegal.
In her Thursday veto message to legislators, Gov. Sebelius argued that doctors could have faced criminal prosecution even if they tried to comply with the law. She claimed the law would “lead to the intimidation of health care providers and reduce access to comprehensive health care for women, even when it is necessary to preserve their lives and health.”