Two steps forward, one million steps back, as the old saying goes.
In the same week a federal judge decided that the "morning-after" pill must be available to everyone regardless of age, and just days after murdered abortion doctor George Tiller's clinic reopened in Kansas, the same state is set to enact one of the most restrictive abortion bills in the nation.
The bill is expected to be signed into law by renowned anti-abortion Governor Sam Brownback and go into effect on July 1.
One provision of the bill would prevent any government money or tax breaks from going to doctors that offer abortions. Another provision, buried deep within the bill, defines life as beginning at fertilization, which is similar to a bill just passed by North Dakota's legislature.
Perhaps the most outlandish part of the bill is a section requiring doctors to warn patients about the possible health effects of abortions, including telling them that abortions can lead to breast cancer – a claim the United States government says is completely false.
According to pro-choice advocates, the bill sets the stage for Kansas to outlaw abortion completely.
"It's a statement of intent and it's a pretty strong statement," Elizabeth Nash of the pro-choice Guttmacher Institute told Reuters. "Should the U.S. Supreme Court overturn Roe v. Wade or should the court come to some different conclusion, the state legislature would be ready, willing and able to ban abortions."
[Image via AP]