Pro-Life Group Hopes Kansas Will Become First Abortion-Free State

By Alison Matheson, Christian Post Correspondent Thursday, June 23, 2011

Pro-life group Operation Rescue is hoping that licenses for the three remaining abortion clinics in Kansas will not be renewed.

The clinics will be told by July 1 whether they are to be granted licenses under a new law requiring them to meet minimum safety standards.

The standards include having an emergency door that can accommodate a gurney, maintaining proper emergency equipment, and having a licensed nurse in the clinic when abortions are being carried out.

The last requirement reflects concern over the absence in many clinics of properly trained and qualified staff.

“We have doubts that any of the abortion clinics can meet the safety requirements of the new law,” said Troy Newman, president of Operation Rescue.

“If they cannot comply, all three abortion clinics would be forced to cease abortion operations, making Kansas the first abortion-free state in the nation.”

Inspections on the three clinics by the state health department began this week. One of the clinics being inspected is Comprehensive Health of Planned Parenthood, which is currently facing 107 criminal charges related to illegal late-term abortions.

If the clinics fail to comply to the new safety standards, they will not be able to perform abortions legally.

Newman stressed it was an issue of public safety.

“If clinics cannot comply with these minimum safety standards, they are simply too dangerous to continue to operate,” he said. “It is shocking that anyone would even question whether or not women deserve to be protected from shoddy and unsafe abortion practices.

“We certainly believe there is no such thing as a ‘safe’ abortion clinic. Abortionists have the attitude that they are above the law and will likely not keep it, therefore the best way to protect women is to close abortion clinics.”