House Speaker Dan Hawkins (in sunglasses) and Senate President Ty Masterson attended the annual anti-abortion rally on Jan. 24, 2024. (Rachel Mipro/Kansas Reflector)
Senate President Ty Masterson wanted the audience at the Kansas March and Rally for Life to know how much he disagreed with Gov. Laura Kelly’s veto of a bill barring a nonexistent abortion procedure.
The Born Alive Infants Protection Act , which became law thanks to an override, bars doctors from ending the lives of infants who survive botched abortions. According to experts Kansas Reflector spoke with last year, this doesn’t happen. Masterson barreled ahead, though. He had political points to score in front of the impassioned crowd.
“There are living, breathing people walking among you today that are survivors,” Masterson said. “That’s proof positive it does happen.”
Thanks to Reflector reporter Rachel Mipro for capturing the quote. I was instantly curious upon reading it. Masterson claimed to know Kansans at the Wednesday event who had survived botched abortions. Not only did he know them, but he said that they were “proof positive” that a state law was needed.