Phill Kline
A controversial former Kansas attorney general whose aggressive investigations into abortion providers sparked major legal and political battles.
Born 1959 (age 67)·American politician·Birthday: December 31·Baby Boomers
Biography
Phill Kline's career in Kansas politics became a focal point in America's culture wars. A Republican with a background as a state legislator, he was elected Attorney General in 2002 and immediately turned his office's focus toward abortion, specifically targeting providers Dr. George Tiller and Planned Parenthood. Using subpoena power, he sought patient records, arguing it was necessary to investigate potential illegal late-term abortions. This move ignited fierce legal and ethical debates over patient privacy versus law enforcement needs. After losing re-election, he was appointed as the District Attorney of Johnson County, where he continued his pursuit. His tactics, however, led to a protracted downfall; he was eventually sanctioned by the Kansas Supreme Court for misleading a grand jury and violating professional conduct rules, and his law license was suspended. Kline's relentless campaign made him a hero to some anti-abortion activists and a concerning figure to others, embodying the intense, personal stakes of legal battles over reproductive rights.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Phill was born in 1959, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Phill Was Born
The biggest hits of 1959
#1 Movie
Ben-Hur
Best Picture
Ben-Hur
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Phill's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1959Born
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1964Started school
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1972Became a teenager
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1975Could drive
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1977Could vote
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1980Turned 21
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1989Turned 30
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1999Turned 40
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2009Turned 50
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2019Turned 60
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 67 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Served as the Kansas Attorney General from 2003 to 2007, making abortion investigations a central focus of his tenure.
- Initiated high-profile investigations into abortion providers George Tiller and Planned Parenthood while in office.
- Successfully argued before the Kansas Supreme Court to gain access to abortion clinic records in 2006, a controversial legal victory.
- Served as a Republican in the Kansas House of Representatives prior to becoming Attorney General.
- Was appointed District Attorney of Johnson County, Kansas, after leaving the Attorney General's office.
Did You Know?
He taught law at Liberty University, a Christian university founded by Jerry Falwell.
His law license was indefinitely suspended by the Kansas Supreme Court in 2013 for ethics violations.
He initially worked as a television news reporter before becoming a lawyer.
The disciplinary case against him by the Kansas state bar was one of the longest and most complex in the state's history.
He ran for re-election as Attorney General in 2006 but was defeated by Democrat Paul Morrison.
“The law must protect the most vulnerable among us, the unborn child.”
