Topeka ? House members who oppose abortion and the anti-abortion group Operation Rescue have been pressuring Speaker Melvin Neufeld for weeks to move against the state’s best-known abortion provider.

It shows no signs of working.

Neufeld says attempts to revive a dismissed criminal case against Dr. George Tiller or to have the House investigate the doctor’s activities aren’t productive. He dismisses those ideas as “trying to get your name in the newspaper.”

“It’s always important to remember in politics, as in the rest of life, intimidation is not a winning strategy,” Neufeld, R-Ingalls, said.

In his 21-year legislative career, Neufeld has been a consistent supporter of restrictions on abortion, but he has found himself in the strange position of being criticized by fellow abortion foes over Tiller.

Tiller’s clinic in Wichita is one of the few in the U.S. that perform late-term abortions. In December, outgoing Attorney General Phill Kline, an anti-abortion Republican, filed 30 misdemeanor criminal charges against Tiller in Sedgwick County, accusing the doctor of performing illegal late-term procedures.

A judge dismissed those charges on jurisdictional grounds. Attorney General Paul Morrison, an abortion rights Democrat who unseated Kline in the November election, began his own investigation, though abortion opponents are skeptical that he will prosecute Tiller vigorously.

“Our judicial system is covering up crimes,” said freshman Rep. Ben Hodge, R-Overland Park. “Our attorney general is ignoring crimes, and I think it is our job to expose crimes.”

Hodge and some other anti-abortion legislators backed a House resolution directing Morrison to revive Kline’s charges against Tiller, invoking a little-used law allowing one legislative chamber to direct the attorney general to file a civil or criminal case. The House Federal and State Affairs Committee, of which Hodge is a member, endorsed it in March.

As speaker, Neufeld controls the House’s debate calendar. The resolution didn’t come up for a vote, despite a campaign by Operation Rescue that included radio ads.

Neufeld contends the resolution is a waste of time because Kline’s case would be dismissed again. He suggested its backers want to generate news stories about Tiller and help Operation Rescue raise funds.

“I believe if you’re going to do something, you’re going to do it for results and make things happen and not waste your time trying to get your name in the newspaper,” he said.

But Operation Rescue spokeswoman Cheryl Sullenger said Neufeld’s actions raise questions about his ability to lead the House, which has an anti-abortion majority.

“We think members of the House need to seriously consider whether they can move forward with the current leadership,” she said. “When the majority party is frightened into paralysis by the minority party, it is time to make some changes.”

A coalition of anti-abortion House members met with Neufeld on the final day of the 2007 session last month to persuade him to create an investigative committee with power to obtain testimony and records related to alleged misconduct by Tiller.

Again, Neufeld declined.

He said it was improper to instigate an open-ended investigation by the House. He suspected the committee would try to subpoena judges.

“If there was a defined goal and we knew what this committee was supposed to do, that’s one thing,” Neufeld said. “I don’t think it’s the speaker’s job to authorize witch hunts, which is what they were asking for.”

Five House members, including Hodge, protested by asking Neufeld to remove them from the Federal and State Affairs Committee. After meeting with him in private, all but one – Hodge – withdrew the request.

Operation Rescue then announced that Hodge had resigned from the committee. But House members can’t resign unilaterally from committees because the speaker appoints them and must agree to remove them. Neufeld hasn’t removed Hodge and said he isn’t likely to shuffle any assignments until just before the 2008 session begins Jan. 14.

Neufeld said he supports a measure adopted by the Legislature this session requiring more detailed reporting to state agencies by physicians aborting fetuses capable of surviving outside the womb. However, the measure was vetoed by Gov. Kathleen Sebelius.

Neufeld said the Legislature should work in the 2008 session to broaden abortion reporting to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, the Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services, and the Board of Healing Arts, which regulates doctors.

Meanwhile, Morrison’s investigation of Tiller continues.

“I can assure you that if I find evidence that a crime has been committed, I will file new charges against Dr. Tiller,” Morrison said.