Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt's office says it has paid outside attorneys nearly $1.2 million dollars to defend anti-abortion laws that have been enacted since January 2011.
The attorney general's office reported Monday that it has paid almost $770,000 to the Lawrence firm of Thompson, Ramsdell & Qualseth for fees and expenses in handling multiple federal and state lawsuits.
Abortion providers sued the state over special regulations adopted in 2011, and over a 2013 law requiring them to post certain material on their websites for women seeking abortions.
The state also was sued over restrictions on private health insurance coverage of abortions.
Schmidt's office also paid more $425,000 to Foulston Siefken of Wichita to defend a measure keeping federal dollars for non-abortion services from going to the private health care provider Planned Parenthood.
