Life Links 9/30/11

A Kansas law restricting the coverage of elective abortion in insurance coverage will stand while a court challenge takes place.

Ruling in Wichita, U.S. Senior District Judge Wesley Brown found that the ACLU failed to prove that the Legislature's primary motive was to create obstacles for women seeking an abortion.

The law bans private insurers from providing elective abortion coverage in Kansas unless the procedure is necessary to save the mother's life. The bill allows coverage for abortion, but women have to buy a separate rider at additional cost.

"On its face, the act does nothing to directly prohibit or restrict a woman from obtaining an abortion," Brown wrote in his 19-page opinion.

Scott Klusendorf shares his thoughts on Ray Comfort's "180" film.


A Planned Parenthood in Flagstaff is warning of future back alley abortions since women from Flagstaff area seeking abortions are now referred to a Planned Parenthood in Phoenix because Arizona's law no longer lets nurse practitioners do abortions. The reality that Planned Parenthood can't find an abortionist with a medical license willing to go to Flagstaff is somehow everyone else's fault.

Otterstein, the nurse practitioner in Planned Parenthood's Flagstaff clinic, said her 30 years of experience suggests that women won't stop having abortions but may opt for unsafe procedures, including late-term abortions caused by saving for travel expenses.

"I'm very sure we're going to see illegal abortions crop up, which can be very serious because they can lead to deaths," she said.

Yes, because we've never heard this scare tactic before. Oh wait.....parental consent, waiting periods, etc.


We know not much work is happening at the women's studies department at Purdue. Here's how one employee responded to the Genocide Awareness Project being on campus.

Laurie Graham, assistant director of women's studies, said someone emailed her and told her about the protest. When she saw it herself on the way home for lunch, she was horrified.

She returned with a sign supporting the right to choose. She and a colleague spent the afternoon receiving high-fives from passing students and gathering signatures of support.

"It's not genocide; it's not the Holocaust; it's not racial lynching," Graham said, referring to the graphic images. "I'm so offended by the whole thing. I thought I've just got to do something."