article: Kansas has become the first state to ban a common second-trimester abortion procedure that critics describe as dismembering a fetus. Republican Gov. Sam Brownback, a strong abortion opponent, signed the 'Kansas unborn child protection from dismemberment abortion act on Tuesday. It takes effect July 1. The law bans the so-called 'dilation and evacuation' procedure and redefines it as 'dismemberment abortion.' Sam Brownback, the governor of Kansas, tweeted a photo on Tuesday showing him signing the abortion-ban bill into law . Kansas abortion opponents have spent years pushing their state to the right on the contentious issue, including this 2013 rally at the steps of the Kansas Statehouse in Topeka . Drafted by the National Right to Life Committee, the measure also has been introduced in Missouri, Oklahoma and South Carolina, though only Kansas lawmakers have passed it. 'The Unborn Child Protection From Dismemberment Abortion Act is the first of what we hope will be many state laws banning dismemberment abortions,' National Right to Life president Carol Tobias told The New York Times. 'This law has the power to transform the landscape of abortion policy in the United States,' she said. Julie Burkhart, the chief executive of the Trust Women Foundation, predicted that her group would challenge the law in court. 'We call it the "physician intimidation and criminalization act",' Burkhart told the Times. 'This is unconstitutional.' Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri is also considering a lawsuit. But the governor is holding firm. Brownback has presided over one of the nation's most aggressive pushes to limit abortions, resulting in at least 20 laws restricting the practice of medically terminating pregnancies. 'This is a horrific procedure,' Brownback spokesman Eileen Hawley said. 'He hopes the nation follows suit.' Brownback, a popular conservative governor, won a second term in November despite a bruising campaign largely centered on the state's economy – not social issues . Kansas state Rep. John Wilson, a Democratic lawmaker from Lawrence, Kansas, is an abortion-right proponent; he asked during a March debate why pro-life groups don't spend more time trying to prevent unwanted pregnancies . The procedure is banned except when necessary to save a woman's life or prevent irreversible damage to her physical health. There is no exception in the law for incest or victims of rape. The new Kansas law specifically explains in graphic language the procedure it bans: . Doctors cannot use forceps, clamps, scissors or similar instruments on a fetus to remove it from the womb in pieces. Abortion rights supporters said the procedure is often the safest for women seeking to terminate pregnancies during the second trimester. The procedure accounted for about 9 percent of abortions last year in Kansas, where most pregnancies are terminated in the first trimester and the state already bans most abortions at or after the 22nd week. 'This dangerous law dictates to qualified physicians how they can practice medicine and treat their patients,' Julie Burkhart, founder and CEO of Trust Women, said in a statement. Brownback signed the bill in a private ceremony at his official residence. His office said he would re-enact it at multiple public events later this month. A photo from Tuesday's ceremony tweeted by the governor's office showed Brownback flanked by anti-abortion leaders and two large photos of fetuses.
highlights: WARNING: GRAPHIC LANGUAGE .
  National Right to Life Committee wrote the legislation, which bans the use of medical instruments to remove a fetus from the uterus in pieces .
  Gov. Sam Brownback made so-called 'dismemberment' abortions illegal, beginning July 1 .
  Exceptions were made for situations where carrying a baby to term would irreversibly damage a woman's health or threaten her life .
  There are no exceptions for incest or rape .
  Governor's office calls procedure 'horrific'; abortion-rights groups are considering lawsuits against the state .
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