Kari Ann Rinker is a former State Coordinator and Lobbyist for Kansas NOW. She has testified in numerous legislative hearings on issues ranging from the State ERA, Domestic Violence, Voter ID and Reproductive Rights. Since the assassination of Dr. George Tiller, Kari Ann has devoted much of her time toward grassroots activism and legislative action for women’s access to safe and legal abortion. Kari Ann been a visible force in both Kansas and National media speaking out on women's issues effecting Kansas. She has appeared on MSNBC's Rachel Maddow and the Lawrence O'Donnell Shows, NPR and been quoted in the Los Angeles Times. She traveled to Nebraska to help defend the clinic of Dr. Leroy Carhart in 2009 and again to his clinic in Maryland 2011. She has a B.S. in Organizational Management and Leadership from Friends University and a Masters of Public Administration and a certificate in Nonprofit Management from Wichita State University.
The State of Kansas has a health care crisis that it should be addressing, but instead the Brownback administration is a little tied up restricting women’s access to low cost birth control and abortion care.
Today the ACLU of Kansas and Western Missouri brought a challenge against my home state’s ban on comprehensive insurance coverage of abortion. The case was brought on behalf of the ACLU’s members who are losing their abortion coverage as a result of the law – I am one of those members.
Governor Brownback’s religious convictions are more than just a statement of personal theology. They represent policies he promotes under his administration. And these policies are policies of forced motherhood, elimination of abortion access and endangering the lives of women.
A grassroots pro-choice movement is being organized to gather in support and solidarity with Dr. Carhart. It is being called The Summer of Choice. The national legislative assault against women, combined with Operation Rescue’s declaration of war against one of our few remaining physicians accomplished in later term abortions brings clarity, focus and determination to our effort.
Operation Rescue now has its sights set on Germantown, Maryland. Germantown….say hi to your new neighbors. Speaking from experience I can say that ignoring them is not an effective strategy. The longer they can go about their work uninhibited the more successful they will become. We need to mobilize now.
