“Women would have been denied their rights under the law to make independent health care decisions for themselves,” Burkhart said.

Abortion opponents need two-thirds majorities in both chambers to override Sebelius’ veto. Kinzer promised an attempt in the House, where the final version passed with 84 of 125 votes, just the margin needed.

But Sen. Phil Journey, a Haysville Republican who supported the measure, was less sure about the prospects in his chamber. The vote there was 25-13, with two members not voting, leaving supporters two short of a two-thirds majority.

“We’ll see,” Journey said. “We’re going to have to be sure that we’ve got our noses counted, to make sure that we’ve got 27 votes.”

Many supporters of the bill believe the state isn’t aggressively enforcing its restrictions on abortion, despite a criminal case pending against Tiller in Sedgwick County District Court.

The attorney general’s office filed 19 misdemeanor charges last year, alleging that Tiller failed to get a second opinion on some late-term abortions in 2003 from a second, independent physician, as required by law. His attorneys have said he committed no wrongdoing.

Abortion foes believe a stronger case could be made against Tiller, and they forced the county to convene a grand jury to investigate him. Tiller is resisting subpoenas from that grand jury, and that effort is before the Kansas Supreme Court.

“Clearly many of the changes that were set forth in the bill are designed to address the realities on the ground,” Kinzer said.

But Sebelius noted that the number of abortions in Kansas has declined. According to the state health department, the number last year, 10,836, was 3.4 percent lower than in 2006. Also, the number peaked at 12,445 in 1999, so last year’s total was 13 percent lower.

Sebelius attributed the decline to greater incentives for adoptions, increased health care for pregnant women and sex education.

“For years, the people of Kansans have asked their elected officials to move beyond legislative debates on issues like abortion and focus their attention on issues that can be solved in the Statehouse — stronger schools, affordable health care and economic growth,” she said in her veto message.

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Abortion bill is House Sub for SB 389.

On the Net:

Kansas Legislature: http://www.kslegislature.org