Each week during the 2024 Kansas legislative session, we will provide Johnson County lawmakers the opportunity to share their thoughts about what is happening in the state capitol.
Below is a submission from Democratic Rep. Stephanie Sawyer Clayton of House District 19, which currently covers parts Leawood, Overland Park and Prairie Village.
Democratic Rep. Brandon Woodard of Lenexa has also been asked to submit a column later this week. A column from Republican Sen. Mike Thompson of Shawnee was published Monday.
The views expressed in each Capitol Update are solely those of the lawmaker.
As a state representative, it is my job to listen to the people who sent me to Topeka, and I am proud to continue doing that job, which is to respect the rights and wishes of my employers: the people of the 19th House District, which covers parts of Overland Park, Leawood, and Prairie Village.
As other states have continued to tighten restrictions on their citizens’ rights to bodily autonomy, Kansas has stood strong in the tradition of allowing families to make their own important medical decisions. In Kansas, we can still grow our families in the ways that work best for us, including the use of in vitro fertilization, or IVF. These are rights that I am proud to stand up for.
But, others in the Legislature disagree. What we are seeing is what I call a war of attrition, a slow chipping away at rights on several different fronts.
First is what appears to be a kind-spirited bill that is designed to give child support coverage starting at conception. While this is certainly laudable, the bill does not guarantee financial coverage in the instance of missed work, should bed rest be required, or any other financial assistance beyond medical bills.
Make no mistake, this bill is designed with one purpose in mind: to continue to add language to Kansas statutes that state that life begins at conception. We simply cannot allow ourselves to get to a point where we open the door to Alabama-style restrictions, and this language opens that door.
Another bill would force women and girls to take an intrusive survey about why they terminated a pregnancy, including if the pregnancy was terminated in the case of rape, incest or because of domestic violence. The proponents of the bill insist that privacy would be kept in place, but in the event that charges were pressed — especially in cases of child rape — it would be easy to discern who the person who had the abortion was.
Victims of crimes deserve to have their medical care that was the result of any crime kept private.
We are also seeing a renewed effort to give tax benefits to those who oppose bodily autonomy.
Although this provision failed as part of a tax package last year, a tax credit for “Crisis Pregnancy Centers” is back up for discussion again this year. The bill provides a 70% tax credit for donations to these centers, as long as they meet certain criteria, including and especially those who don’t offer any information about the option of abortion.
The total amount of tax credits in a given year would be capped at $10 million, with a maximum of $5 million per organization. Because most crisis pregnancy centers are nonprofit, donors can also deduct the remaining 30% of their donation from their federal taxes, as well.
While on the surface, these kinds of tax credits might seem benign, they offer an unfair financial benefit to people who oppose bodily autonomy.
Regardless of your support or opposition for this kind of legislation, it is up to you as Kansas taxpayers to contact your legislators and make your feelings and wishes known. Remember, we work for you.
You can follow me on Twitter @sscjocoks, email me at stephanie.clayton@house.ks.gov, or find me on the web at www.clayton4ks.com.
