The Republican Party’s three decade plan to restrict abortion rights scored another success after officials successfully defunded Planned Parenthood in both Minnesota and Indiana. In Kansas, a new strict set of regulations enforced by anti-abortion Governor Sam Brownback will now likely mean that all three clinics with doctors willing and able to perform the procedure will be forced to temporarily close their doors in coming weeks. The Associated Press has the documents:
Kansas officials have taken only a few weeks to draft new abortion clinic regulations and plan to decide by July whether to give the state’s three existing clinics the licenses they need to continue operating, according to documents released Tuesday.
The top executive for Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid Missouri said he’s concerned imposing the new regulations so quickly will force all three clinics to shut down. The Planned Parenthood chapter operates one of the three clinics, all of which are in the Kansas City area.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment is imposing the rules under Republican-backed legislation that was signed into law last month by GOP Gov. Sam Brownback, a strong abortion opponent. The department sent Planned Parenthood a letter earlier this month saying its clinic would be inspected and notified by July 1 whether it would have a license. The other clinics received similar letters.
The Associated Press filed an open records request last week, seeking copies of the department’s correspondence with the clinics. Planned Parenthood provided its copies of the letters shortly before the agency released them. Both also provided a copy of the latest version of the new regulations, dated Friday, the same day clinics were required to apply for their licenses.
