Kansas judge blocks first-of-its-kind ban on second trimester abortion procedures

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Abortion Protest Signs
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Shawnee County District Judge Larry Hendricks blocked a Kansas abortion law on the grounds that the state's constitution protects a woman's right to have an abortion separately from the U.S. constitution. Kansas' law had been the first in the nation to put a ban on a second-trimester abortion procedure that opponents call a "dismemberment abortion," involving the use of instruments like forceps, clamps, or scissors to remove a live fetus. The procedure is used in 95 percent of the nation's second-trimester abortions. If Hendricks' ruling is upheld, the Kansas Supreme Court could grant more protections on abortions than the U.S. Supreme Court.

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Jeva Lange
Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.