Friday May 18, 2007
Kansas Democrat Legislator fined One Hundred Dollars for Assaulting Pro-Life Activist
By Hilary White
TOPEKA, Kansas, May 18, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com, with files from Christian NewsWire) – A Kansas state legislator has been fined one hundred dollars for assaulting a pro-life activist. House Representative Vaughn Flora (D-Topeka) was found guilty yesterday of one count of battery.
The attack occurred at a gubernatorial debate at the Kansas State Fair in September 2006. Operation Rescue’s Troy Newman was eliciting good natured laughs from the crowd of about 2000 as he and other pro-life activists danced through it dressed in cockroach costumes. The protest, Newman said, was meant to draw attention to Gov. Kathleen Sebelius' support for abortion and her refusal to open the state’s abortion facilities to health and safety inspections.
Operation Rescue had bought the building that housed the Witchita abortion facility, Central Women’s Services, and discovered mold and roach infestations. During the debate at the fair, Flora, who was wearing a Sebelius T-shirt, approached Newman and tore his mask off, causing a laceration to Newman’s head.
Flora was charged with intentionally and unlawfully causing physical contact with Newman “in a rude, insulting or angry manner.”
Newman has expressed his disappointment at the light sentence. The charge could have resulted in up to a year in prison or a thousand dollar fine.
“I hold no ill will toward Mr. Flora, but really, the message being sent here is that if you are willing to part with a hundred bucks, you can punch a pro-lifer," said Newman. “That's really not much of a deterrent.”
Flora refused to apologise to Newman and received a 30 day suspended jail sentence and was ordered to pay a fine of $100 and court costs of $128.
“I think what Flora is ultimately guilty of is a lack of sense of humour,” Newman added.
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