Kansas governor Sam Brownback signed the state's far-reaching anti-abortion bill Friday, surrounded by a smiling group of pro-life onlookers at a Statehouse ceremony. But among them, unseen, was the original anti-abortion power duo.
According to a photo of Brownback's desk shot by the AP, the words "JESUS + Mary" are scrawled across the top of the governor's notes on the bill, like two lovers' names carved into a tree. Some of the key phrases Brownback used in his address just before the signing, such as "building a culture of life" and "All human life is sacred", show up handwritten near the bottom.
The bill is one of the most restrictive in history: it forbids abortion providers from receiving any government money or tax breaks, defines life at the moment of fertilization, and even requires doctors to falsely warn their patients that abortions can lead to breast cancer.
No one's shocked, since Brownback is avidly pro-life (after all, this is the man who was ready to tax rape victims seeking abortions last year.) Much of the bill will go into effect in July, while the tax portion kicks in during 2014.
Brownback's staffers did not immediately respond to the AP's request for more information about the notes.
[AP]