Why Should I Support

Why Should I Support

Heartbeat Legislation?

…and

Why Now?

Heartbeat Legislation is a relatively new concept in stopping abortion. It would legally protect a baby whose heart has started beating.

Question-1: Why not work to end ALL abortions, instead of only those abortions where the baby’s heart is beating?

There are nine members on the US Supreme Court. Four of them are dependably prolife, four always vote pro-abortion, and one justice, the Honorable Anthony M. Kennedy, is the swing-vote. He is a Harvard-educated father of three from California, and in terms of abortion legislation, he is the most powerful man in America. There are strong indications that Kennedy will vote to uphold “Heartbeat Legislation” as well as the “Pain-sensitive Legislation” which recently became law in Kansas and in four other states. Kennedy wants to put “logical limits” on abortion, but does not want to overturn Roe v. Wade.

Answer-1: In several states, including Kansas, there are noble efforts underway to end all abortions. These efforts are known as “Personhood Amendment” campaigns. However, there are two reasons why a “Personhood Amendment” is not immediately achievable in Kansas, whereas Heartbeat Legislation is attainable right now! (a) At this time, there is insufficient public support for a “Personhood Amendment” because it would outlaw some forms of what some people now mistakenly consider to be contraceptives. And (b), The U.S. Supreme Court, with its current make-up, is not likely to uphold any state “Personhood Amendment”.

Question-2: How many unborn babies would be protected by Heartbeat Legislation?

About 85%

Question-3: Every baby’s heartbeat starts at a different gestational age due to natural variations in development. Therefore, it has been difficult for the medical field to agree on exactly what constitutes a real “first heartbeat” in an unborn child. How would Heartbeat Legislation overcome this obstacle?

Just as there are variations in when a child begins to walk or talk, so too, there are variations of when the baby’s heart begins to beat. However, at ten weeks, as shown here, the baby would absolutely be protected from death by abortion if Heartbeat Legislation became law in Kansas.

Question-4: Does Kansas have to follow the exact wording of the Heartbeat Bill that passed the Ohio House of Representatives in June 2011?

“When a heartbeat is detected…

The child should be protected !”

Answer-2: It depends on the specific

wording of the state-level legislation. In Ohio, the only state to have passed a Heartbeat Bill in its House of Representatives, the proposed law would save about 85% of the babies currently killed by abortion in Ohio. If Kansas patterns its law after Ohio’s proposed law, then that estimate would hold true in Kansas as well.

Answer-3: One way would be to follow the example of Ohio, where its House of Representatives settled on a definition that is bullet proof, both scientifically and legally. Ohio’s Bill requires an audio and a visual (ultrasound) indication of a fetal heartbeat that is functioning in a circulatory system. Together these requirements translate to between 7 and 10 weeks of life. Although the heart muscle is already pulsating as early as 18 to 21 days of gestation, there is no detectable sound until the circulatory system is further developed and functioning.

Answer-4: No, the Kansas Legislature can use any wording it chooses to use. Even the “legal” definition of when the heartbeat begins could be entirely different from Ohio’s Bill. However, Ohio wisely developed its proposed law, anticipating what the US Supreme Court would likely uphold. Therefore, wisdom dictates that Kansas look closely at Ohio’s example when drafting its law.

Question-5: Abortion has been legal since 1973... So why wasn’t Heartbeat Legislation passed a long time ago?

Front row (L-R): Associate Justices Anthony M. Kennedy and John Paul Stevens, Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Associate Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas. Back row (L-R): Associate Justices Samuel Alito Jr., Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer and Sonia Sotomayor.

Question-6: Why now? Why not wait to see what happens in Ohio?

Ohio is the only state to have actually passed a Heartbeat Bill, but ONLY in its House of Representatives.

Kansas has the highest potential for Heartbeat Legislation to ACTUALLY BECOME LAW.

Question-7: What is meant by the analogy that “Kansas has the potential to be a home-run state”?

Answer-5: Prior to the appointment of Chief Justice John Roberts to the US Supreme Court in 2005, Heartbeat Legislation wouldn’t even have been considered by the Supreme Court. Also, since the Roe vs. Wade decision in 1973, no state in America has EVER had the opportunity that Kansas has today! Only Kansas has these key political ingredients: a sufficiently prolife House and Senate, as well as a Governor who is willing to sign well-written proLife legislation.

Answer-6: Babies are aborted every day in Kansas …babies who could be protected if the people of Kansas would let their legislators know that they support Heartbeat Legislation! If Kansas waits for the Ohio Senate to pass its Heartbeat Bill, it could be a very long wait… maybe even years into the future, or maybe never! By the Grace of God, Kansas has the potential to be a “home-run” state when it comes to Heartbeat Legislation.

Answer-7: 1st Base: Of the 125 members in the Kansas House, 99 are proLife! 2nd Base: The Kansas Senate is the most Republican-dominated Legislative body in America today. 33 of its 40 members are Republican, and the State Republican Party Platform is strongly proLife! 3rd Base: Kansas Governor Sam Brownback is strongly proLife! Home Plate: The US Supreme Court. (See the photo note at question-1.)

Question-8: As a citizen, what can I do to help pass Heartbeat Legislation as soon as possible… to save as many lives as possible?

Sign

Examine

Call

Question-9: Could a special session of the Kansas Legislature be called to consider Heartbeat Legislation? Why not just wait for the 2012 Regular Session? And, who would pay for that Special Session?

“As Kansas goes …so goes the nation!” Just as Bleeding Kansas led the nation in the struggle to end slavery BEFORE the Civil War, so too Kansas could lead the nation in establishing civil rights for the unborn child.

Do the winds of righteous change still blow in Kansas?

Answer-8: Please do these three things immediately, because human lives are at stake and YOUR ACTION counts! This legislation is waiting on YOU, NOT on someone in Washington D.C. or Topeka.

(a) Sign the petition which calls for passage of Heartbeat Legislation. You may sign with or without a donation. Go to: http://www.kcfl.net/kcfl/doc/sigad/sigad.php?year=2012 .

(b) Closely examine the above noted petition on-line to see if your friends have signed. If they have not, ask them to sign without delay.

Answer-9: As soon as enough Kansans show lawmakers that they want Heartbeat Legislation passed, then The Kansas Coalition for Life (KCFL) could legitimately make that request to the Governor. Since abortions continue to occur in Kansas routinely, it makes no sense to wait for the 2012 Regular Session. By waiting, the earliest that a new law could go into effect is June or July of 2012, and thousands of babies would unnecessarily die! The petition needs signers from every city and county, so that each Legislator sees his or her constituents on that list. KCFL will then ask the lawmakers to serve free-of-charge, in a 2-day Special Session.

For additional copies of this information sheet, or, of the Heartbeat Legislation Petition Form, go to: www.kcfl.net or contact: The Kansas Coalition for Life: 5575 South Mosley Street, Wichita, Kansas 67216-3631 Telephone (316) 522-8866, Fax (316) 522-8833.