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Topeka, Kansas, March 27, 2013 (OperationRescue.org) – As North Dakota’s Governor Jack Dalrymple was signing the historic Heartbeat Bill that bans abortions after a fetal heartbeat can be detected, another drama played out at the Kansas Capitol where national pro-life leaders came together in an eleventh hour effort to pass a version of the Heartbeat Bill that advocates say has the best prospect of successfully challenging Roe v. Wade.

David F. Forte, a highly esteemed Professor of Law at Cleveland State University who carefully crafted the legislation to withstand a Constitutional challenge, addressed the House Federal and State Affairs committee on Tuesday.

He explained that once a fetal heartbeat is detected, 97% of those babies will survive to term. Fetal heartbeat is a better indicator of survivability than the difficult to determine standard of viability since the heartbeat happens at a set time in pregnancy at around 5-6 weeks gestation.

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Also testifying before the committee was attorney Walter M. Weber, Senior Litigation Counsel for the American Center for Law and Justice in Washington, DC. He noted that when a mother receives information about her baby’s heartbeat, it can greatly influence her decision. The legislation also has the ability to determine why women are seeking abortions, by including additional reporting requirements.

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Janet Porter, of Faith2Action in Ohio, testified of efforts in her state to pass Heartbeat legislation. She argued that with the current composition of the Supreme Court, we face a narrow window of opportunity to save tens of thousands of babies.

Troy Newman of Operation Rescue also testified. After the hearing, the pro-life supporters spread out across the Capitol to lobby for the bill in the final days of the legislation session. The fate of the bill remains uncertain.

“This bill is better than the bill just signed into law in North Dakota and has the potential to strike at the heart of Roe v. Wade and save thousands upon thousands of innocent lives. We urge the passage of this critical legislation while there is still time,” said Newman.

Pro-life Representative Lance Kinzer has thus far disappointed pro-life supporters by withholding support for the bill, which caused some confusion among legislators. Gov. Sam Brownback met with Mark Gietzen of the Kansas Coalition for Life and Janet Porter yesterday and assured them he would sign the law if passed.

Operation Rescue is asking pro-life activists to contact Rep. Kinzer and urge him to support HB 2324, the Heartbeat Bill. His support would virtually ensure passage of this life-saving and ground-breaking legislation.

Contact:
Rep. Lance Kinzer
Phone: 785-296-7692
Email: [email protected]