Underseer

Actually, I hope more attorney generals around the country start doing things like this. All this does is prove the arguments the pro-choice crowd have been saying for years.

Loren Pechtel

The problem is that the attorney generals have government funding for their witch-hunts. It can be expensive for the targets.


To me, this case is very simple. HIPPA says the data's protected. HIPPA is federal, it trumps anything the state wants.

Matt the Medic

Although I know nothing of Kansas law, doctors have to report rape or possible abuse in most other states so I'd assume it would have to be the same.

MushMouth

I saw this tonight on O'Reilly. Very frustrating. At the end of the segment after O'reilly and Judge Napolitano beat up on the women defending the abortion doctors Napolitana remarked, "you lose your rights to privacy once you're the victim of a crime."

I don't even know what to say - how do you respond to people who are dealing so thoroughly in illogic?

The AT may as well demand to see all abortion records so that he can double check and make sure none of those women were raped. The state has an obligation to protect women after all.
.

dcwolf

I thought conservatives are for less intrusive government.

trientalis

Only with respect to corporations.

Loren Pechtel

When an underage girl presents pregnant how do you know whether it was rape or not?

Besides, if that's the true objective the AG should make underage pregnancy reportable, not query abortion records. Of course this would increase the murder rate.

ksagnostic

Yet another example of the payoff of Rove's strategy. Phillip Kline almost lost in his race for Attoney General against a relative unknown (but very qualified) candidate who didn't really run a campaign. If he had actively run, he would have won, and we wouldn't have this tool. But now, the theocons are riding high, their church's got out the vote and we have a majority of theocratic idiots on the state school board, and Kline, who had been fairly careful before the election, seems to think he has a free hand. He also recently met with the theocon majority of the school board to indicate that he would use his office to defend any decision they made regarding evolution, much to the irritation of board moderates and in flagrant violation of at least the sprit of state open meetings laws.

And yes, Kline is on a fishing expedition. He first achieved noteriety as a "pro-life" fanatic, and is an overall Christian Right tool (which is why he almost lost). I believe one of his assistants is an Operation Rescue veteran who served time.

ksagnostic

Clinics already are required to assist in criminal investigations regarding statuatory rape, and to my knowledge they do. Kline is using this as an absolute pretense.