SENATORS ASK CARNAHAN FOR PARTIAL-BIRTH ABORTION BAN

Capitalizing on the pope's scheduled visit to St. Louis next week, 13 Republican state senators have called on Gov. Mel Carnahan to help lawmakers ban partial-birth abortions.

The group includes Sen. Peter Kinder, R-Cape Girardeau, who repeatedly has sought to ban such abortions.

Carnahan vetoed Kinder's bill to ban partial-birth abortions in 1997 because it didn't include a provision to allow the abortion procedure to save the life and health of the mother.

Brad Ketcher, Carnahan's chief of staff, said Friday the governor would be willing to consider an abortion ban if it includes such safeguards. Without those safeguards, any partial-birth abortion ban likely would be overturned by the federal courts, Ketcher said.

"Several states have passed these things, and almost without exception they have been struck down by the courts," he said.

But Kinder said he and Sen. Ted House, a St. Charles Democrat, are sponsoring a bill in this legislative session that defines the partial-birth abortion procedure as infanticide.

The bill is designed to pass muster with the federal courts, Kinder said.

Thirteen of the 16 Republican senators signed Thursday's open letter to the governor. In the letter, they referred to Pope John Paul II and his scheduled two-day visit to St. Louis. The pope is scheduled to arrive in St. Louis on Tuesday.

The letter included an anti-abortion quote from the pope: "How is it still possible to speak of the dignity of every human person when the killing of the weakest and most innocent is permitted?"

In the letter, lawmakers said the pope and others from different religious backgrounds have expressed outrage that this act is still legal in Missouri.

"A strong majority of Missourians and Americans have said partial-birth abortions should be outlawed, and we urge you to follow their advice," the senators said.

The lawmakers acknowledged that they have differed with the governor on the abortion issue in the past. They said they hope to seek "common ground" to outlaw the late-term abortion procedure.

The lawmakers said the anti-abortion measure has bipartisan support.

"When it comes to banning partial-birth abortion, our disgust for it extends across party lines and beyond partisan wrangling," the senators said.

Kinder said the Republican senators asked House and another Democratic lawmaker to sign the letter, but the two Democratic lawmakers declined to do so.

Kinder said he doesn't view the letter as politicizing the pope's visit.

"Last time I checked we had protected free-speech rights under the First Amendment," said Kinder.

"The teaching of the Catholic Church preaches the sanctity of human life," said Kinder. "We know where the pope stands. I hope he speaks to the issue while he is here."