Tiller’s death is not the only reason for the drop in abortions, said David Gittrich, state development director of Kansans for Life. “The pro-life movement has been spending decades educating the public about what abortion is.”

The shooting death of Wichita abortion doctor George Tiller may have contributed to a dramatic drop in the number of abortions performed in Kansas last year.

The 9,472 abortions in 2009 were the lowest reported number since 1990, according to preliminary data released Friday by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. There were 1,171, or about 11 percent, fewer abortions last year than the year before, the largest one-year decline in more than a decade.

“It really comes as no surprise when you lose an abortion provider very suddenly,” said Sarah Gillooly, public affairs manager for Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri. “The tragic death of Dr. Tiller was an enormous loss for women in Kansas.”

Tiller, whose clinic was a frequent target of anti-abortion protesters, was shot to death in May while ushering at the church he attended in Wichita. A jury convicted Scott Roeder of first-degree murder. He is scheduled to be sentenced April 1. Roeder is requesting acquittal or a new trial.

Tiller was known for performing late-term abortions. His clinic attracted women from Kansas and other states.