This afternoon, as Governor Brownback signed HB 2218 and HB 2035, he proved where the Kansas Government’s priorities are not: protecting the health and access to medical care of Kansas women and their families.  HB 2218, an unconstitutional ban on pregnant women’s health care and HB 2035, which will jeopardize the health and safety of teens seeking health care; both have very real and foreseeably dangerous effects on the lives of Kansans.

“These bills have serious repercussions for the health and safety of Kansas women,” said Julie Burkhart, Founder and Executive Director of Trust Women. “These bills will not reduce the rate of abortion; rather, they will force women to seek other means; potentially riskier means, by which to obtain reproductive health care. These bills are not about making women’s health care safer; these bills are about further restricting access to a safe and legal medical procedure.”

“In actuality, both bills put pregnant women at risk,” continued Burkhart.   “HB 2035 will force young women in incest or domestic violence situations to navigate intricate and likely-biased judicial proceedings in order to circumvent the double parental consent provision included in the bill. HB 2218 will force women to potentially risk their future fertility should they be alerted of a fetal indication past 22 weeks.”

“At a time when Kansans are in need of jobs, quality public education and health care, legislating more restrictions and further restricting access to reproductive health care is no way to help the women of Kansas,” concluded Burkhart.

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