Gov. Sebelius urged to match ‘record to rhetoric’ by signing ultrasound bill

CNA ^ | March 17, 2009

[NYer]

Gov. Kathleen Sebelius

Wichita, Kan., Mar 19, 2009 / 06:35 am (CNA).- Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius is being urged to sign new state legislation that would require Kansas abortionists to offer women an ultrasound image or heartbeat record of their unborn child before an abortion procedure. One pro-life advocate said the governor’s refusal to sign the bill would “extinguish” hopes she would work to reduce abortions.

On Tuesday the Kansas Senate voted in favor of the bill by 36 to 2. The “Woman’s Right to Know Act,” S.B. 238, would also require clinics to post signs saying that coerced abortions are illegal.

Both the Senate and the House votes on the bill gave it more than the two-thirds majority support necessary to override a veto, the Kansas City Star reports. Once the legislation is enrolled, Gov. Sebelius will have ten days to sign the law, veto it or allow it to become law by inaction.

Brian Burch, President of the Chicago-based Catholic organization Fidelis, urged the governor to sign the legislation before she attends her confirmation hearings concerning her nomination to become U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services.

“Some pro-life defenders of Gov. Sebelius, including the governor herself have argued that she is open to common sense, bipartisan solutions to reducing the number of abortions,” Burch said. “The Kansas House and Senate have answered their call with this legislation, passed overwhelmingly with bipartisan approval. The Governor has a wonderful chance to match her record with her rhetoric.”

“If the Kansas Governor vetoes this bill, she will not only dash the hopes of her pro-life supporters, but also forfeit any claim to genuinely wanting to help women overcome the tragedy of abortion. Politically, she has no choice but to sign this bill,” Burch claimed.

He reported that bill sponsor and Kansas legislator Rep. Lance Kinzer told him that the central focus of his legislation was to find “true common ground and political consensus” on abortion. The “overwhelming" majority support proved the “good balance” achieved by the bill.

“If there is such a thing as ‘common ground’ on abortion, this is it,” Burch said. “It simply allows women greater access to information about their unborn child.”“If Gov. Sebelius vetoes this bill, then there's simply no 'Catholic' defense of Kathleen Sebelius, if there ever was one to begin with. A veto would extinguish any hope that Sebelius will actually work to reduce the tragic number of abortions in America today,” Burch claimed.

[NYer]

Catholic Ping
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[Kansas58]

My guess?
She will either let it go into effect without her signature -—
Or she will sign it, knowing that she can not stop it, as a cynical way to push back against prolifers.

If not for the HHS appointment, she would veto this bill in a heartbeat!

[Soothesayer]

Don’t hold your breath. The “pro-choice” position is all about furthering the culture of negligence and irresponsibility. The easier it is to abort, the easier it is to screw freely without worry.

[Cyman]

Kathleen Mengele Sebelius. Der Weisse Engel

Makes my stomach turn

[CommerceComet]

My guess? She will either let it go into effect without her signature -— Or she will sign it, knowing that she can not stop it, as a cynical way to push back against prolifers. If not for the HHS appointment, she would veto this bill in a heartbeat!

You've got a good read on our governor. When discussing abortion, "common sense" and "Kathleen Sebelius" are mutually exclusive terms.

[JamesP81]

On Tuesday the Kansas Senate voted in favor of the bill by 36 to 2.

If there's that much support for it, they can just override her veto and then it won't matter what she thinks or does.