New Kansas Gov. Parkinson Emphasizes Similarities With Sebelius On Abortion-Rights Issues

Main Category: Abortion
Article Date: 06 May 2009 - 6:00 PDT

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Kansas Gov. Mark Parkinson (D), who replaced HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius in the position, said that his positions on abortion-rights issues are comparable to those of the former governor, the AP/NBCActionNews.com reports. In his first news conference as governor, Parkinson said, "My position is very similar, if not completely similar, to [Sebelius'] position on the abortion issue." Parkinson also stated he has not reviewed a bill (S.B. 218) Sebelius vetoed before resigning as governor that would have required abortion providers to report more detailed information to the state and made it easier for lawsuits or criminal charges to be filed against abortion providers. Parkinson explained that he did not review the bill because he and Sebelius believed she would address it before her confirmation as HHS secretary.

AP/NBCActionNews.com reports that Parkinson's voting record on abortion rights differed from Sebelius' when they served in the state Legislature. Parkinson, who switched parties to run as Sebelius' lieutenant governor in 2006, formerly chaired the Kansas Republican Party and served in the state House as a Republican from 1991 to 1992 and in the state Senate from 1993 to 1996. In 1992, Parkinson supported a revision to the state's abortion law that would have preserved the right to abortion without restrictions before viability but did impose an eight-hour waiting period and a parental notification for minors. Sebelius, also a House member at the time, voted against the measure. Parkinson also voted for a bill that would have imposed a 24-hour waiting period; Sebelius opposed the bill (Hanna, AP/NBCActionNews.com, 5/2).

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