Moves against abortion follow high court ruling
Staff Writer
By JANICE EARLY
Although the Supreme Court ruled last week that states are not constitutionally bound to finance non-therapeutic abortions, attempts to cut abortion fees in Kansas before the ruling, baserival sources say.
State Sen. Arnold Berman, D-Lawrence, said last week that there had been many moves in past legislative sessions to ban state and federal funding for abortions.
There were attempts made in the last legislative session, as there have been in many sessions and in the past.
State Rep. Charles Laird, D-Topka, has asked for the preparation of a bill to forbide the use of state money to pay for abortions. He said last Wednesday he would bill for consideration by the 1978 Kansas Legislature.
THEERE IS NO Kansas legislation on the subject now.
Kansas now pays for some abortions through its federally-
supported program of medical care in the root (Med.)
State Medicaid law, passed in accordance with the Federal Social Security Act, permits the payment of
only one medical procedure covered in the program. matches federal Medicaid money with state funds.
public money for medical assistance. Abortions are a surgical procedure performed in the presence of
In fiscal year 1975, $272,016 was spent on nontherapeutic abortions by the state of Kansas, according to Chuck Stevenson, director of ad-hoc medical services at the Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services.
He said Friday that the figure was a combination of about 50 per cent Title 19 funds and 40 per cent state
THE TOTAL MEDICAID expenditure in the state was $8,320,000 in 1975. Abortion funding represented $1,669,000 in 1975.
Stevenson said figures on the amount of state money spent on abortions last year were not
He estimated that at the average cost of $454, which would include hospital and physician's costs, 600 abortions were paid by the state. That is 10 per cent of all abortions performed in 1975.
For that same year the Bureau of Registration and Health Statistics of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment reported that 5,861 abortions were born in Iowa to mothers both therapeutic and non-therapeutic abortions.
A THERAPEUTIC ABORTION is performed to save the life or health of the mother or when a physical malady which could harm the fetus is detected. A general elective procedure done at the option of the mother.
In 4,898 cases, or 84 per cent of the 1775 Kansas shortings, women gave mental health as the reason.
cases, or 94 per cent of the 1,970 Kashmir abortions. Last year, 9,154 abortions were performed in the state, a 38 per cent increase over 1975. Mental health was given as the reason in 8,117 cases, 88.7 per cent. Physical health, fetal defects, raptus and incest cases, 1.8 per cent of the abortions performed in 1976.
Felonious intercourse, defined by the state statute books as all sexual intercourse with a female under 18, was the reason given in 390 or 4.3 per cent of the cases cited as cited in the reason in 468 cases, or 5.1 per cent.
THE STATISTICS on abortions performed in Kansas are public information. However, the number of abortions performed at an individual hospital is almost impossible to obtain. Officials at the Bureau of Registration and Health Statistics say the release of that information is against the law.
KU Medical Center officials are reluctant to discuss the issue at all.
Vincent DeCoursey, executive director of the Kansas Catholic Conference, predicted last week that anti-abortion forces would be active during the next session of the legislature.
Those most willing to discuss abortion are its opponents.
"Certainly there will be a move to withhold state funds, and I think it will be successful," he said.
troduced anti-abortion legislation in the past, agreed.
"THESE WILL BE a strong concerted effort to
"THERE WILL be a strong concerted effort to give protection to the unborn child," he said.
State Rep. Victor Kearns, R-Merriman, is one of the legislators who attempted to stop public funding of the $40 million
Last year, Kearns asked the House Public Health and Welfare Committee to prohibit the use of state
At that time, Kearns said, "There are a number of people, including myself, who feel that this might be undesirable and perhaps not a permissible use of public funds."
Kearns said Wednesday, "What this (Supreme Court) ruling does is give some additional focus to a major problem. The ruling doesn't really solve the problem of what to do about unwanted concession.
"THE RULING DOES tend to penalize women of
lesser means and permits women who have some financial means to continue to use abortion as a form
Kearna said he preferred a program of education for both men and women, regardless of financial background.
The overall issue, he said, is the state's role in medical care.
"The state gets a welfare appropriation to take care of medical necessities." Hamm said. "The Kansas legislature could decide not to fund abortions just as it could choose to limit tisotillectomies."
Charles Hamm, attorney for the Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services, said last week that the Supreme Court decision would have no legal effect because there was no legislation on the subject now.
He said it depended upon what the state defined as a medical necessity.
THE SUPREME COURT'S majority opinion, written by Justice Lewis Powell Jr., did not clarify whether the Constitution and federal laws offer relief to those states that taxes to pay for abortions need to save their lives.
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY
Discussing the subject of abortions performed to save lives, Powell wrote, "The Constitution imposes
KANSAN
WARM
VOL.87 NO.150
Hams test their skill See story pate three
Weekend rains bring heavy property damage
By DONNA KIRK Staff Writer
Only traces of flood water remain, but it's still evident that last week's heavy rains did varying amounts of property damage. Several Lawrence residents reported that most of the water seeped up through a foundation floor drains and through wall leaks.
But one family said yesterday water that had gushed in through a basement door and broke windows windows did an estimated $100,000 in damage to furniture, old books, clothing and walls.
Karen Goldsby, 1410 W. 19th Terr., said yesterday that she wasn't sure of the damage estimates, but that the water had run nearly all her antique furniture in the basement. Some items she lost in the flood were irreplaceable, she said.
"1 HAD SOME FIRST EDITION printings of some Shakespeare and Longfellow pieces," Goldsby said, "and now that's all gone."
"The laundry and dry cleaning are our big worries now," Goldsbay said. The water soaked the family's winter clothing, she said.
She plans to renovate an antique night stand and chest of drawers, she said, and she was able to get a calculator, and typewriter out before the basket filled.
She said she had five shelves of old books, their family heirlooms and old primers. "I used to have a huge furniture out before water filled the room in within three feet of the ceiling, badly shattered."
The water finally drained out yesterday, she said, but silt and gravel still cover
THE FAMILY HAD LIVED in the house only six months, but it was the fifth time water had collected in the basement, Goldsby said.
Other Lawrence residents reported lesser damages.
Robert and Patricia Adams, 906 Ward Ave., said yesterday that two inches of water had seeped up from a basement floor drain and covered the four basement
rooms. The water soaked two rugs and about 20 albums, they said, but none were found.
A clogged drain in a closet floor flooded the living room and kitchen three inches deep in the apartment of Debbie and Ravmond Tate. 2003%_. W. 27th St.
**WHAT SEEMED LIKE A RIVER flowed up to the doorstep of the home of Mrs. Coletta Sarils, 903 13 SL Friday. She said yesterday that water seeped into the basement through window heaks and beds, but rug, but she was able to clothing out.
had covered her home's back porch step but didn't get into the house which has no basement. Water in the back yard was four inches deep, she said.
Suzanne Chesnut, 835 13th St., said water
Water still stands in the gardens of Bryan and Phyllis Hunter, 150 W. 26th St., and Henry and Karen Johns, 1507 W. 26th St., but they said they had no flooding.
"The rain beat our flowers to death,"
The carrot is pretty bad, but the carrots are pretty hot.
For Dick Royce, Lawrence junior, the water made pulling weeds out of his yard at 2001 Redbud Lane easy. He said yesterday he didn't have any water damage.
Raft riders not found after reported wreck
The Lawrence Fire Department searched the Kansas River Saturday night and most of yesterday but found no trace of three boys that were reported to have been seen in a raft which capsizeed as they went over the dam. Darn at about 9:30 p.m. Saturday.
search by Douglas County sheriff's
heliopter unit and the
lawrence police
The fire department was joined in the
The boys were about 12 to 14 years old, according to one witness, and two had
At 11 p.m. yesterday, the police department reported no new developments. A dispatcher said no one had filed a missing persons report.
Wateru Wreck
Staff photo by RICK PADDEN
Heavy rains turned East Lawrence streets into rivers last Friday. leaving vehicles throughout the area stranded in deep water.
No damage reported in fire at Towers
Three fire trucks responded to a minor trash chute fire in Tower B of Jahawkwer Towers, 1603 W. 15th St., at 10 p.m. yesterday.
The fire injured no one and no damage was reported.
Walter Palmer, Lawrence Fire Department captain, said last night that three engines were usually sent to a complex of that size whenever a fire was reported.
This is done, he said, because of the possibility of large fires in buildings with fire sprinklers.
Promotion reported for KU administrator
By PEGGY SPENCER
W. E. Hogan II, American Council of Education (ACE) fellow and assistant to the chancellor and executive vice chancellor, will be the new associate executive vice chancellor, a highly-placed official in the office of Kansas administration said yesterday.
Staff Writer
Hogan's responsibilities will include working with other University offices that report to the executive vice chancellor as well as other staff who have now performed by administrative interna
Hogan refused to comment on his appointment last night.
Two weeks ago, the search committee for
Hogan received his doctorate degree in 1973 from Oklahoma State University. While at KU, Hogan has been an assistant professor of mechanical engineering and associate dean of the School of Engineering.
Crash kills sophomore
Shankel is attending a microbiology conference in England and could not be reached for further comment on the appointment.
cellor, then conspire the 'that' like views. Shankel said last week that all the people who participated in the war were the appointees were members of the Lawrence campus faculty or staff.
Delbert Shankel, executive vice chancellor, concurred the final interviews
Project plan to HUD
Richard Gary Owens, Roeland Park sophomore, died early yesterday morning in a car-motorcycle collision in Kansas City, Mo.
Owens, a 19 year old music major, was killed at 1.15 a.m. at the intersection of 47th and Bellevue streets. Police said a bicycle ride from the city's caravan, ran a red light and hit by a car.
Graveside services are scheduled for Tuesday afternoon in Humansville, Mo.
By JANE PIPER
Staff Writer
A proposal for a 106-unit housing project for low-income elderly persons in Lawrence will probably be presented to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) sometime this week. The project is located City, Mo., developer, said recently.
Kitchen's proposal for a six-story apartment complex called Parkview Apartments was approved last month to contingent on HUD's approval and funds. The proposal must be submitted to the Topeka board of HUD by February 14. A bill will also provide eligibility to receive rent subsidy funds.
The site of Kitchen's controversial plan involves a 1.4-acre lot on the south side of Jacksonville and its surrounding Tennessee streets. The site was approved by the city commission over objections from the planning commission and the Old Battery neighborhood about the size of the complex.
Under such a system, elderly persons who have incomes less than 80 per cent of the city's median income, will pay a maximum of 25 per cent of their income in rent. The government also provides a fair market rent level will be made up by federal payments to the apartment owner.
Plans call for 100 single-bedroom apartments (a reduction of 20 from the original proposal) each with a kitchen, living room, bath and balcony. The apartment would range from four to 14.
Commissioners cited the success of Babcock Place, the city-controlled housing project for low-income elderly, in overriding neighborhood objections.
Violet Fleming, Lawrence Housing Authority employ, said Babcock applicants have to wait an average of 18 months to two years before admittance. The average number of only 30 turnovers have been made, most of which were due to the death of a resident.
Kitchen termed his program as almost identical to that at Babcock Place.
Babcock Place, 1700 Massachusetts St.,
currently has 77 persons on a waiting list.
Both projects specify that a resident must
be over 62 years old, have a low income (for example, $6,000 is the maximum level in Babicek and have assets that don't exceed $100,000) in Kitchen's project; $1,500 in Babicek.
Both stipulate that the resident pays no more than 25 percent of his monthly income.
But, unlike Babcock Place, where rents range from $12 to $140 monthly depending on ability to pay, rent in K(chen)'s project depends solely on the local government to an open market level.
Fleming said the rent subsidies in Parkview Apartments would probably have the effect of allowing more very low-income people to find housing.
Flering explained that the rent in Babcock Place is now divided into categories based on a resident's income. Persons in the higher income brackets who have been paying more rent are replaced by others from the same income level, she
As a result, Fleming said, the waiting list for those needing low-event apartments is small.
"We're having to pass over the low-rents, which is really sad." Fleming said.
The 120 unit Babcock Place, as well as 25 units in the city-operated Eaglewood Homes community, offers housing projects in Lawrence for elderly people on limited incomes. Approximately 90 per cent of the residents in Babcock Place are widows and the mean age is 77
Private apartments, such as the Eldridge House, Seventh and Massachusetts streets, are also available considerably more expensive. For example, rent in the Eldridge House ranges from an average of $125 monthly for a single room efficiency apartment to $400 for two-room apartment.
Kitchen's project, like Babycub, would house only people able to care for them.
"There are no nursing services furnished," Fleming said. "The residents must
See ELDERLY page two
Mona McCoy, with the Council on Aging,
See EDERIER nare two
From our wire services
Gav's slaving incites march
SAN FRANCISCO—More than 100,000 people marched through downtown San Francisco yesterday in a gay rights parade, many expressing anger at Anita Bryant's anti-gay crusade and the slaying of a homosexual.
Changing "Human rights are absolute," the marchers, including many from heterosexual, labor and black groups, turned out for the Gay Freedom day parade. Police said the march of San Francisco a large gay community began on Friday, but the number more than 50,000 mere as it progressed. The number of homosexuals in San
Francisco is estimated at one-eighth of the population of 670,000 or about 84,000.
parade participants offered what they described as a reply to Miss Bryant and sympathy for a slain gun gardener.
Police defused the angle of the anger of the homosexual community only a day after the arrest, young men, ranging from 16 to 20-years old, on murder charges in the stabbing of a woman.
He was killed last Wednesday night near his home by four young men who shouted "faggit!" repeatedly as they stabbed him, according to witnesses.
CARACAS, Venezuela (UP1)- Venezuelan President Carlos Andres Perez, on the eve of a long-walk visit to the United States, praised President Carter yesterday for restoring U.S. access through his defense of human rights.
U.S. human rights view lauded
"Venezuelan oil has been and will
Perez told a news conference that Carter's policies on human rights and nuclear proliferation "honor him before all," he said. "The United States, the press it had lost" international-
The 54-year-old Perez, leader of one of Latin America's five democracies, will meet with President Obama to meet with Carter tomorrow and Wednesday. He will then visit New York,
the Carter-Perez talks are expected to cover a wide range of topics, including Venezuela's role as the host country and its role in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and in the economic talks in Paris between rich and poor
continue to be vital to the United States." Perez said. Venezuela presently ships about half of its two million barrel-per- dry oil exports to the United States.
Perez, who plans to propose a strict oil conservation policy when OPEC oil ministers meet next month, said he was deeply concerned over the apparent lack of success of Carter's energy conservation measures in Congress.
"It is necessary for the OPEC to the industrialized countries that we are not willing, in the name of humanity, to harm them," he said. "Resource as source as oil." Perer said.
Perez said the discrepancies between Venezuela and U. views were largely over the Third World's efforts to establish a new international economic order, with industrialized nations giving them greater benefits to the developing countries.
He said he would talk to Carter not as a leader of Latin America or the Third World, but as a spokesman for the United States, World, Latin America and his country.