Senate Republicans say 11 questions proposed to survey pregnant people in the state before they can receive an abortion will help lawmakers make better decisions. Critics say the proposed survey is overly invasive, offensive and a blatant attempt to push an anti-abortion agenda.
The House Federal and State Affairs Committee heard testimony on a bill creating a felony of coercion for persuading someone to terminate a pregnancy against their will and a bill designed to funnel $5.8 million into efforts to pressure women not to terminate a pregnancy.
Kansas is one of the few states left in the region that protects abortion rights. Unable to change state constitutional protections, some lawmakers are now doing their best to discourage abortion through a slew of legislation instead.
House and Senate Republicans — in their latest attempts to weaken the state’s constitutional right to bodily autonomy — have introduced legislation to require prison time for coercing a pregnant person into getting an abortion and to mandate ultrasounds before terminating a pregnancy.
Kansas abortion providers would have to ask patients why they are terminating pregnancies under legislation critics argue represents an effort to “harass, intimidate and shame” abortion seekers.
The Kansas Legislature will consider bills that would amend the state’s ‘born alive’ law and prevent abortion providers from purchasing liability insurance from a state fund.
Eight Kansas House Republicans introduced a bill crafted to implement a near-total ban on abortions, while also authorizing individuals to file lawsuits against doctors and others who helped someone obtain an abortion.
From an influx of patients to evolving state restrictions, 2023 brought changes to abortion access in Kansas — and more could be on the way in 2024.
In the first half of 2023, nearly two-thirds of people getting abortions in Kansas traveled from out-of-state, according to new data from the Guttmacher Institute.
A Kansas judge on Monday blocked a combination of long-standing and newly implemented abortion restrictions in the state in what abortion providers described as a “hard-fought” win against misinformation.
