Should child support begin before or after birth? KS Lawmakers argue both sides
TOPEKA (KSNT) - Lawmakers are pushing for a bill that would include unborn children in child support cases, however, a recent amendment is receiving major pushback.
House Bill 2062 is making progress after passing overwhelmingly in both chambers. Anti-abortion advocates like Kansans For Life (KFL) say many women in this situation believe this bill is a crucial way to support them during pregnancy.
"If they had the financial support or the emotional support that they wanted, they would have preferred their babies rather than have an abortion," KFL government relations director Jeanne Gawdun said. "This is a way to help relieve some of that financial burden so that she feels more confident about choosing life for her baby."
Abortion rights advocates say it attacks a woman's right to an abortion. They say Kansas courts can already consider pregnancy expenses in child support agreements.
"The only new thing that this bill is doing is it's adding fetal personhood language into child support law," Loud Light advocacy director Melissa Stiehler said. "Using that logic, you couldn't possibly have a legal abortion."
In a move that got lots of blowback from Democrats, Kansas Senator Patrick Schmidt, (D), Topeka, proposed an amendment, which the Republican controlled legislature adopted. It would change the tax code, giving unborn children a taxpayer ID number which gives families a tax break for these children.
"It forces the house and the senate to vote on the bill again. They will have to determine if they want to take it out," Schmidt said. "If that doesn't work, then it provides the best grounds to challenge the bills constitutionality and defeat it."
Because of the amendment, the bill heads back to the house and senate committees.
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