Kansas Governor, State House Wage War on Women with Anti-Choice Laws

COMMENTARY | Republican Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback has signed a law that will require women to buy additional insurance policies if they want abortion coverage, reports the Lawrence Journal-World. The bill, which was passed May 13, came under heavy fire from critics because the law will hurt victims of rape who become pregnant. The bill offers no exceptions other than when a mother's life is at risk. It does not include an exception for victims of rape or incest.

During a debate on the subject, Rep. Pete DeGraaf, R-Mulvane, implied that women should be open to buying "abortion-only" insurance to be prepared for anything in life, including rape, because it is just like having a spare tire in your car for when you get a flat, or like having life insurance.

Gov. Brownback has had no qualms passing anti-choice legislation. According to the Kansas Reporter, he has recently passed a wave of anti-choice legislation that includes restricting abortions after 22-week gestations (House Bill 2218 - dubbed the fetal pain bill) and requiring that two parents must consent if their underage daughter has an abortion (House Bill 2035). It doesn't matter what the girl's circumstances are, whether she was the victim of rape or incest, or what her wants are regarding the pregnancy. For girls in Kansas who wish to have an abortion, they must get notarized statements from both parents consenting to the abortion. A bill similar to House Bill 2035 is being debated in New Hampshire.

The recent passage of anti-choice legislation is not just anti-choice, nor is it only about abortion and pro-life advocates getting their way. The recent passage of anti-choice legislation is anti-women and anti-victim. Why are Republicans in the House of Representatives going after women? According to a recent CBS News report, Republicans are saying that they will be creating jobs, lowering tax rates, increasing domestic energy production and passing free trade agreements. Isn't that what they said they were going to do before? Why this war on women?

"There's clearly a message here that women are dispensable," said Rep. Annie Kuether, D-Topeka, who opposed and voted against the bill that Gov. Brownback signed Wednesday. Clearly, women are dispensable in the eyes of these representatives, and the Republicans passing this legislation do not care about women's rights nor do they care about the rights of victims. It is just one more step in their attempt to overturn Roe vs. Wade, pretend that the Hyde Agreement doesn't even exist (That's the one that expressly prohibits federal funds from being used for abortions except in two cases: when a woman's life is at risk or when she is the victim of rape or incest), and interject their moral beliefs into the lives of private citizens.

The Republicans in the House of Representatives are not stopping with this recently passed legislation. The House passed an amendment Thursday that banned funds on health clinics that train doctors in providing abortions. There are no exceptions to this. It doesn't matter that it could be critical to saving a women's life.

"This amendment would jeopardize both education and women's health care by obliterating funding for a necessary full range of medical training by health care professionals," said Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Colo. Virginia Foxx, R- N.C., who authored the measure (shocking isn't it that it was a woman) says, "If organizations want to provide elective abortions or train abortion doctors they need to find someone other than taxpayers to write the checks."