Kansans for Life host annual March and Rally for Life
One of the biggest pro-life events of the year, Kansans for Life (KFL) hosted their annual ‘March and Rally for Life’ on Wednesday “to inspire our state legislators to stand boldly for life as they begin their legislative session.”
The day started at 9 a.m. with a Catholic Ignite event with pro-life speakers followed by a Catholic Mass inside the Topeka Performing Arts Center (TPAC). A non-denominational prayer and worship service began in the Memorial Hall auditorium at 10:30 a.m.
By noon, Policy Specialist at Kansas Catholic Conference Lucrecia Nold spoke outside on the front steps of TPAC to a large crowd of people including groups such as Knights of Columbus Kansas and the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod.
Nold spoke on data regarding abortion, stating that, according to KDHE over 12,000 abortions were performed in Kansas in 2022—a 57 percent increase from 2021. There was also an increase of 117 percent coming from outside the state of Kansas to get abortions. She stated that, according to their own research, the 2023 numbers will be higher.
“These numbers—this data—points to a harsh fact: Many women feel that abortion is their only choice,” Nold said. “The questions we then ask ourselves: How do we help these women? How do we help them when our state and our legal system has decided that abortion is a fundamental right? The answer: We focus on what the abortion industry does not do—showing authentic are and compassion to women facing unplanned pregnancies.”
She also stated that prolife legislation was going to focus on three simple goals:
Protection and safety of the pregnant woman;
Highlight the humanity of the preborn child; and
Provide aid for women who choose life for their babies and those who serve them.
“These three simple goals are key to creating policies that will actually save lives instead of proposals that have zero chance of becoming law, and or ever save a single life due to Kansas Supreme Court’s extreme 2019 ruling,” Nold said.
Nold also listed key initiatives including:
Life-affirming tax reform;
Protection and expansion of the alternatives to abortion program;
Begin child support at conception; and
Protecting women from coerced abortions
The large gathering of prolife supporters then began their march to the South side of the Capitol building where they heard from a number of speakers.
KFL Deputy Communications Director Mackenzie Haddix started the rally with some opening comments.
“We’ve entered another critical year in the fight for human rights,” Haddix said. “While the abortion industry ramped up its efforts in 2023 to draw women to Kansas in staggering numbers and attack our existing laws, the prolife movement proved its resilience by fighting back against the most pro-abortion governor in our state’s history with dramatic vetoes through three veto overrides.”
An opening prayer was said by Capitol City Baptist Church Pastor Mark Oprzedek. The Pledge of Allegiance and the Star-Spangled Banner followed the prayer.
KFL Director of Government Relations Jeanne Gawdun went on to highlight the prolife legislators in the Kansas House and Senate—many of whom were present for the rally. The legislators named included Senators Molly Baumgardner, Rick Billinger, Chase Blasi, Elaine Bowers, J.R. Claeys, Beverly Gossage, Michael Fagg, Dan Kerschen, Rick Kloos, President Ty Masterson, Kristen O’Shea, Mike Petersen, Mark Steffen, Tim Shallenburger, Caryn Tyson, Kelly Warren, and Vice-President Rick Wilborn. Representatives included Francis Awerkamp, Brian Bergkamp, Emil Bergquist, Tory Blew, Doug Blex, Lewis Bloom, Ron Bryce, David Buehler, Nathan Butler, Speaker Pro Tem Blake Carpenter, Will Carpenter, Bill Clifford, Susan Concannon, House Majority Leader Chris Croft, Ronald Ellis, John Eplee, Robyn Essex, Susan Estes, Brett Fairchild, Fred Gardner, Jason Goetz, Speaker Dan Hawkins, Scott Hill, Kyle Hoffman, Steven Howe, Leah Howell, Cyndi Howerton, Bob Lewis, Les Mason, Carl Maughan, Jim Minnix, Lisa Moser, Michael Murphy, Sandy Pickert, Samantha Poetter Parshall, Pat Proctor, Bill Rhiley, Clarke Sanders, Rebecca Schmoe, Bill Sutton, Sean Tarwater, Paul Waggoner, Barb Wasinger, and Laura Williams.
All 17 Senators and 44 Representatives listed are Republicans.
Senate President Masterson (R-Andover) and Speaker Hawkins (R-Wichita) came up next to speak.
“Last year, after the Value Them Both law, a lot of people wondered what we were going to do—where we were going to go from there,” Speaker Hawkins said. “In the Legislature, we decided… that we were really going to focus on life.”
Speaker Hawkins noted pro-life bills that Gov. Laura Kelly vetoed only to have the Kansas Legislature to override the vetoes. These bills included the Born-Alive bill which made it so babies must receive treatment if they are born alive, and a bill that informs pregnant women of the effects of medication abortions, among others.
Senate President Masterson also gave a brief overview of the bills and thanked everyone for coming out.
The featured speaker of the event, Tatiana Bergum, a Minnesota woman who worked as a federal contractor with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office on Trafficking in Persons (OTIP), spoke next.
Bergum stated that she drove through Kansas twice on a family road trip and sensed that Kansas had a “unique spiritual atmosphere.” She said the answer she received after praying was that “God’s hand was on Kansas.”
She delved into speaking about working with human trafficking victims.
“Our commitment to the prolife cause extends beyond advocating for the unborn,” Bergum said. “It calls us to stand firm against all forms of violence and exploitation—recognizing the interconnectedness of life’s sanctity.”
She shared the story of a girl named Sarah who was taken advantage of by a music producer. Convinced overtime that he cared for her well-being, she began doing certain acts for money. When she became pregnant, the so-called music producer coerced the 17-year-old girl into getting an abortion despite her wanting to keep the baby. After the abortion, she continued to be trafficked by this man for several more years.
“Abortion, unfortunately, becomes a tool exploited by traffickers, emphasizing the urgency to confront the intricate connection between human trafficking and the act of abortion,” Bergum said. “Our responsibility demands that we stand united against those who seek to exploit women through abortion. Enacting effective legislation and fostering community collaboration are crucial in our commitment to preventing further victimization and providing unwavering support to those who have already experienced harm.”
KFL Director of Government Relations Jeanne Gawdun returned to the stage after Bergum’s speech to speak about what KFL was doing this session for the prolife movement.
“The focus of the prolife legislative agenda is on these life affirming proposals that protect the safety of pregnant women, highlight the humanity of the preborn child, and provide aid for women who choose life for their babies. To that end, we seek to establish tax credits to assist those who want to adopt, encourage donations to pregnancy research centers and provide financial relief for families with children. Protect and expand funding for alternatives to abortion so that women facing unexpected pregnancies will have the resources they need to choose life. Protect women from coerced abortion, as Tatiana mentioned, by instituting penalties against those who would coerce women, and requiring prescreening for coercion victimization prior to an abortion. And then offering support to women who are in crisis or in danger of harm. Safeguard women’s health by requiring an ultrasound screening be performed prior to an abortion—most especially in the case of chemical abortions which here, in the state of Kansas, are 60 percent of abortions and where the possibility of an undiagnosed ectopic pregnancy could be life-threatening to the woman. Help women facing unexpected pregnancies by directing the Court to consider pregnancy related expenses when establishing guidelines for child support so that the child can be protected and the mother can be reimbursed for expenses while that child is still in the womb. And improve the quality of state abortion data by requiring the Kansas Department of Health and Environment to collect information regarding reasons why women are choosing abortion. That data is necessary for the establishment of policies and programs that will truly address the needs of pregnant women.”
State Deputy for Knights of Columbus Kansas Mike Grothoff was the final speaker of the event, providing an update on an ultrasound initiative.
The Ultrasound Program was started in 2009 by the Knights of Columbus, providing ultrasound machines to pregnancy centers that have prolife beliefs. Since its conception, the Knights of Columbus have provided 1,745 ultrasound machines—30 of which are in Kansas.
“So far this year, we have provided two more,” Grothoff said. “One inside the women’s clinic in Lawrence and another at A Better Choice in Wichita.”
The Knights of Columbus are working on the placement of three additional machines in the state of Kansas.
“Last year, the Knights of Columbus, in anticipation of the reversal of the Roe v. Wade decision, began a new program called ‘Aid and Support After Pregnancy,’” Grothoff continued. “Which provides pregnancy centers with support for both mother and child after the mother brings her baby to term. In its first year, the Knights of Columbus provided $6 million to these centers, proving that the prolife movement cares for both mother and child.”
Locally, $61,000 was raised by the Knights of Columbus at their state convention last year in Topeka in support of this new program. Another $20,515 was raised in this fraternal year which has been donated to 21 different pregnancy centers across Kansas.
The rally ended with a closing prayer led by Archbishop Joseph Naumann.
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Ian Brannan
Ian Brannan is an independent journalist who founded The Kansas Constitutional in April 2022. His work focuses on issues including abortion, Convention of States, drug policy, education, government, LGBT issues, media, and more.
