By Elana Gordon
KANSAS CITY, Ks. – This Wednesday marks the deadline for submitting public comments on proposed abortion regulations in Kansas.
Miranda Myrick, a spokesperson for the Kansas Department of Health, says state law now mandates that facilities performing more than five nonemergency abortions a month operate with a license granted by her department.
She says KDHE has already been taking written comments on the state's proposed permanent licensing rules, but a hearing slated for this Wednesday gives people a chance to present testimony in person.
"Based on the written and oral comments, [the state] could change slightly, or substantially, or not at all the permanent regulations," Myrick says.
As it stands, the state's proposed permanent rules are identical to temporary rules issued two months ago.
A court has blocked those from taking effect, amid challenges by two of the state's three abortion providers.
Bonnie Scott Jones, a lawyer with the Center for Reproductive Rights who is representing providers in that case, says the licensing rules create major barriers to providing abortions in the state and would likely be challenged in court again if permanently adopted in their current form.
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