Governor Brownback's religious convictions are more than just a statement of personal theology. They represent policies he promotes under his administration. And these policies are policies of forced motherhood, elimination of abortion access and endangering the lives of women.

Kansas NOW celebrates freedom, equality and the right to a full range of reproductive health care, including abortion. Kansas NOW rejoices in Roe v Wade. We rejoice the Supreme Court decision, which guaranteed women their Constitutional right to the procedure of abortion in 1973. Abortion saves women’s lives! Roe v Wade wasn’t decided on a lark. The decision came about in part as a response to the increasing amount of women who were dying from illegal procedures that were occurring due to restrictive state laws, such as what was found in Texas…the originating state of the Roe v Wade case.

Speaking of Texas…Governor Brownback is vacationing there. He’s spending some time with the American Family Association, the International House of Prayer, Focus on the Family and Concerned Women for America. These groups resoundingly oppose abortion in all cases, their only exception being the life of the woman. They believe that women who become pregnant as the result of rape or incest, need to just deal with the hand they’ve been given. It shouldn’t surprise us that these are our Governor’s chosen vacation pals. Our Governor once said…

“It’s a terrible situation when there’s a rape or incest. But we’re talking about ending the life of this child. Will that make the woman in a better situation if that’s what takes place? I don’t think so. It is a beautiful child of a loving God, that we ought to protect in all circumstances and in all places”- Sam Brownback

This statement is rooted in our Governor’s religious convictions, but it is more than just a statement of personal theology. It is a declaration of the chosen policies under his administration. These policies are policies of forced motherhood, elimination of abortion access and endangering the lives of women.

Sex. Abortion. Parenthood. Power. The latest news, delivered straight to your inbox. SUBSCRIBE

American Family Association’s Bryan Fischer said, “One of the things we look for from our political leaders is we want to see them work to align the public policy of our country with the standards of the word of God, that’s what we want, we want an alignment. We’re talking about men and women, who are committed as a matter of moral conviction to align the public policy of the United States with the word of God.”

According to Brownback’s other vacation buddy Lou Engle, the Joplin tornado was the result of “a sign that God’s redemptive judgment” falling upon America for the sin of abortion. He also praised Gov. Sam Brownback for taking steps to make it impossible to ever obtain abortion in Kansas. Is this the kind of alignment we want for Kansas?

Kansas NOW will fight this alignment, for it means the degradation of women and infringement on the rights of LGTBQ Kansans. It means the harassment of these groups at events where we gather to express our 1st amendment freedoms. It means forced motherhood and the elimination of choices, and without choices, how can we possibly be free?