The murder of Dr. George Tiller in Wichita in 2009 changed the landscape for women in the state of Kansas and the medical personnel who provide services to them. The election of Sam Brownback as governor last November was greeted with cheers by the right wing, as it created the opportunity to take advantage of the new abortion rights landscape. Earlier this year, the legislature quickly turned those hopes into bills, and sent them on to Brownback’s desk, which he signed in mid-May.
They passed a new law to prohibit insurance companies from including coverage of abortions in their general policies (except those necessary to save the woman’s life), though supplemental policies can cover this. They also passed a law stiffening licensing requirements for facilities that provide abortions, including a ban on using telemedical systems in conjunction with prescribing RU-486, and directing the KS Department of Health and Environment to write new regulations regard exits, lighting, equipment, etc. — all in an effort to strangle anyone who wants to provide an abortion in the state of Kansas. The new regulations were approved on Thursday, June 17th, just a few weeks after the law was signed.
The kicker? They take effect July 1, with no exceptions.
http://firedoglake.com/2011/06/25/new-kansas-abortion-law-succeeds-in-shutting-down-its-first-clinic
