Hostility to pregnancy centers escalating

There is an escalating national attack on free pregnancy care centers through legislation requiring they immediately inform visitors of  services they do NOT perform. We have not yet seen any such bills filed at our Statehouse this session.

Abortion supporters claim that pro-life maternity centers use ‘deceptive advertising,’ such as the billboard/ bumper sticker shown.  Without even one citizen complaint of deceit or disservice,  Baltimore enacted a bill that fines pregnancy centers $150 per day if they don’t post a sign saying they do not provide abortions!

Bills in Virginia and Washington will similarly force pro-life centers to immediately inform all visitors they do not perform or refer women for abortions, do not provide contraception, and are not legally required to maintain medical records.

On Tuesday, the Baltimore-D.C. area (Montgomery County, MD) imposed a requirement that pro-life pregnancy centers post a disclaimer saying they do not have medical professionals on staff.   Lifenews.com reports that pregnancy centers there were publicly castigated as ‘misleading and misinforming’  poor pregnant women for advising that abortion risks future fertility, breast cancer and psychological trauma, which it does.

The Archdiocese of Washington, which supports four pregnancy centers in that area, charged that the new regulation unfairly targets a valuable safety net and undermines the centers’ good work solely because of their beliefs.

Such legislation is unnecessary and unwarranted, and a slap in the face to these volunteer-based, non-profit charities that have been serving their communities for years without complaint and play a critical role in providing a web of support to women facing unplanned pregnancies.

These regulations only serve the interests of abortion clinics, none of which are themselves required to post signs about what they do not provide; neither are they being scrutinized for presenting erroneous medical information.

Countless women have testified that they were lied to in abortion businesses, and video from LiveAction films catches abortion staff clearly misinforming pregnant women.

[REMINDER: info & reservations for the KFL Valentine Banquets featuring LiveAction undercover reporter, Lila Rose, can be found here for Feb.11 in Overland Park and here for Feb. 12 in Wichita. ]

Kansas has 76 non-profit pregnancy help centers spread throughout the state and 19 of them offer free sonogram services.  See map.

By contrast, there are 4 businesses for surgical and chemical abortion in Kansas: 2 in Overland Park, 1 in KCK, and 1 in Lawrence.

Landmark study: abstinence-ed delays sex

Abstinence education won big today in the first study to evaluate such a curriculum using a carefully “controlled” design that compared it directly to alternative strategies — considered the highest level of scientific evidence.

Bristol Palin, a teen mom, is now encouraging Abstinence.

In the study,  African-American 6th and 7th grade students were assigned to one of five programs: an 8-hour curriculum that encouraged them to delay having sex; an 8-hour program focused on teaching safe sex; an 8- or 12-hour program that did both; or an 8-hour program focused on teaching the youngsters other ways to be healthy, such as eating well and exercising.

Over the next 2 years, only 33% of the students who went through the abstinence program started having sex, compared to 52 % who were just taught safe sex.

47%  of the students became sexually active after just learning about other ways to be healthy and 42% started having sex from the comprehensive program (heavily lobbied for at the Kansas Capitol by Planned Parenthood under the name ‘Abstinence-Plus.’)

In 2006, the Kansas Board of Education issued guidelines recommending that schools focus on abstinence until marriage (the program with better results according to today’s study) and adopt an opt-in policy for sexuality education classes.   The guidelines were not a mandate and school districts could still choose a more comprehensive program or an opt-out policy.   After pro-abortion money played a major role in changing the makeup of the Board, new guidelines were soon passed in 2007 that no longer ask teachers to stress abstinence until marriage.

The Obama administration eliminated more than $150 million in federal funding targeted at abstinence programs this year, instead launching a new pregnancy prevention initiative ($183 million) that will fund only programs that have been shown scientifically to work.

The questioned effectiveness of abstinence programs has been the weapon used by those wanting Planned Parenthood to remain in charge of instructing teens about sex and pushing chemical contraceptives, Planned Parenthood’s cash-cow.

However, even non-pro-life entities like the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy called this study “game-changing… strong evidence that an abstinence-only intervention can help very young teens delay sex and reduce their recent sexual activity as well.”

More details of the study here and here.

Pro-life leader bemoans abortion harms at March for Life

At the national March for Life last weekend, perennial favorite speaker,  co-chairman of the Congressional Pro-Life Caucus,  Chris Smith, slammed the federal abortion agenda and the scientific community’s conspiracy on abortion harms.

“Abortion hurts women, physically, psychologically, and the data strongly suggests that it even mal-affects children subsequently born to women who abort,” he continued, saying at least 102 studies have yielded such findings… and at least 113 studies show a dramatic association between abortion and preterm birth in subsequent pregnancies – 36 percent after one abortion, a staggering 93 percent after two.”

However, Kansas’ health department doesn’t believe abortion is bad for women, or future births, as shown in their MIS-implementation of new materials for the Woman’s Right to Know abortion information.

Six years ago, Gov. Sebelius’ KDHE ‘maternal and infant’ division refused to have their physician panel review the evidence of the abortion link to prematurely delivered, underweight, and developmentally damaged babies.

At that time, there were 55 studies, now there are 113, but still no hint of this serious link in the “medical” warnings of

Kansas & Haiti: Planned Parenthood vs Maternal care

Relief workers assist a pregnant Haitian female

Planned Parenthood has used the 9-11 attack, Hurricane Katrina, and now the earthquake that devastated Haiti, to raise funds for its  contraception and abortion services.

According to C-Fam research institute, International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) used the Haiti crisis to solicit funds for its family planning services there.

In contrast, at the same time, a pro-life medical team arrived in Port au Prince to provide emergency medical services and skilled birth attendants to aid the many women who have had to give birth in the streets.

A similarly twisted priority was exhibited this summer in Kansas.  Gov. Mark Parkinson– in the name of the state budget crisis– deleted annual maternal assistance to poor pregnant women while restoring the same amount ($325,000) to Planned Parenthood.

“Fire Beier” campaign attacks Justice’s abortion bias

The “Fire Beier” initiative, begun by the KFL Political Action committee, will educate voters about the disinformation and dishonorable actions of Kansas Supreme Court Justice Carole Beier, acting more like the defense attorney for Kansas abortion businesses rather than an impartial judge.

As our press release explains, legal filings Monday for Kline assistant Eric Rucker reveal a hidden investigative report that again exonerated Kline and his assistants Rucker and Steve Maxwell for their conduct when obtaining abortion files.

Justice Beier has been a staff attorney for an extreme abortion rights firm and this may be what fuels her Kline vendetta, ignoring four rulings that clear Kline and his assistants– two of the rulings under the jurisdiction of Beier’s own Court:

1. Judge Richard Anderson in Nov. 2006,
2. Judge David King, in his Court-ordered report in Jan. 2008,
3. the (newly discovered) Disciplinary Administrator’s special investigation report in May 2008,
4. Judge Clark Owens in the Tiller trial, Feb. 2009.

As Kansas Liberty reports, Beier harshly criticized former Kansas Attorney General Phill Kline in the Court’s 2008 Planned Parenthood case, even while Kline had won on each substantive point.

Even her fellow Justices, then-Chief Justice of the Kansas Supreme Court, Kay McFarland, and current Chief Justice of the court, Robert Davis, stunningly called out Beier for denigrating Kline

Rally for Life crowd of 2,000 hears call to defund PP, unseat Justice Beier

Photos of 2010 Rally for Life by Joseph Myers, available at: http://yourbestphotographer.com/events/Topeka_1-22-2010/Gallery.html

Approximately 2,000 prolifers–- many under age 18– marched from the Topeka Performing Arts Center to the KFL Rally for Life at the Kansas Supreme Court Judicial Center Friday, Jan.22, marking the 37^th anniversary of Roe vs. Wade.  Prominent were signs from the national “Silent No More” post-abortion-regret campaign.

A dozen crisis pregnancy center directors and counselors from around the state were given recognition and received baby supplies brought by Rally participants.  Bradley Fisher of Abilene, the 2009 winner of KFL’s state high school oratory contest, gave his winning speech and student winners in KFL’s annual grade school poster contest were also recognized.

KFL  Executive Director Mary Kay Culp announced the KFL Political Action Committee campaign, “Fire Beier” to educate voters about why they should vote NOT to retain the Kansas Supreme Court Justices up for retention in November, 2010, particularly Justice Carole Beier. (More on this in next post as new developments were breaking Monday.)

Kansas Rep. Lance Kinzer (R-Olathe) was the keynote speaker and pro-life state legislators were in attendance. Remarks on behalf of the 4th District Congressman Todd Tiahrt were delivered by his wife, Vicki.

Defund Planned Parenthood

Kansas Sen. Tim Huelskamp, candidate for 1^st District U. S. representative, said he would reintroduce legislation to stop state tax

MLK’s niece honors him with pro-life advocacy

Dr. Alveda King, niece of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Dr. Alveda C. King, niece of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., travels the nation, expressing her poignant “Silent No More” post-abortion testimony. She also bears a special advocacy, from the days of her family’s involvement with civil rights,  on behalf of Black Americans being decimated by abortion:

• 13% of U.S. women are black, but they account for 37% of abortions
• TWICE as many Black Americans have died from abortion than from AIDS, accidents, violent crimes, cancer & heart disease combined
• EVERY THREE DAYS, more  Black-Americans are killed by abortion than have been killed by the Ku Klux Klan in its entire history
• abortion has reduced the black population 25% since 1973
• Planned Parenthood places 78% of its clinic in minority neighborhoods

Dr Alveda King’s challenge on this day commemorating her uncle’s murder, is “How can the dream survive if we murder the children?”

Youths very involved in pro-life Jan.22 activities

Students at 2009 state Rally (photo: Joseph Myers)

NARAL and NOW regularly bemoan the low number of genXers who appreciate their ’struggle to secure abortion rights’. They’re right only in this sense– that the younger generation IS more pro-life than ever!

Students compose the majority of the roughly half million marchers (or more!)

Kansas state medical board needs revamping

Many are anticipating what can be accomplished in Kansas under a pro-life governor in 2011, and I hope restructuring the State Healing Arts Board is on the list.

We’ve endured seven years of pro-abortion Governor Kathleen Sebelius, not only her abortionist-protecting legislative vetoes, but also her appointees on this Board, who allowed decrepit and woman-injuring abortion clinics to stay in business.

Larry Buening

Sebelius’ abortion industry aid also extended to retaining the Board’s corrupt executive director, Larry Buening, the spouse of her long-time personal staffer.

Thousands of post-viability abortions were performed in Wichita –almost all of them on non-Kansans– because Buening protected the medical licenses of Kristin Neuhaus, who made the abortion “referrals,” and of LeRoy Carhart, Susan Robinson, Shelly Sella, and the late George Tiller, who performed the abortions.

Sebelius found a cushy SRS attorney job for Buening to keep his state pension, after the legislature threw him out in 2008. [It was not on account of his abortion ties, but because of a backlog of patient deaths and abuse complaints that lawmakers gave the axe to Buening and his top legal counsel, Mark Stafford.]

Buening’s replacement, Jack Confer, had cleaned up Arizona’s medical board mess, but after a rocky 16-month attempt at rehabilitating the Kansas Board, quit in mid-October. The Board is seeking

New abortion payoff found in Senate health bill

The National Right to Life Committee has furnished a new analysis of the Senate health care bill that reveals $7 billion in funding for Community Health Centers buried deep in Section 10503 of the 383-page “manager’s amendment” (from Sen.Majority leader Harry Reid).

NRLC says the money could be funneled to abortion businesses to pay for abortions and will not be subject to provisions like the Hyde Amendment that stops abortion funding