Kansas Lawmakers Vote to Approve Ballot Proposal That Suggests There Is No Right to an Abortion

Amanda Casanova | ChristianHeadlines.com Contributor | Updated: Feb 02, 2021
Kansas Lawmakers Vote to Approve Ballot Proposal That Suggests There Is No Right to an Abortion

Kansas Lawmakers Vote to Approve Ballot Proposal That Suggests There Is No Right to an Abortion

Kansas lawmakers voted last week to approve a ballot proposal that will amend the state constitution to clarify that there is no right to an abortion.

The proposal would also need to be approved by state voters before becoming law.

Senators voted 28 to 11 in support of Concurrent Resolution 5003. The amendment will now go to voters on the Aug. 2, 2022 state ballot.

The Kansas House passed the “Value Them Both Amendment” by a vote of 86 to 38 in January.

Senate President Ty Masterson, a Republican, said in a statement that passing the amendment marked a “monumental day for both women and the unborn in Kansas.”

“As a result of this historic action, the people of Kansas will now have the opportunity to right the wrongs of the Kansas Supreme Court ruling from May of 2019,” Masterson said.

Said Brittany Jones, the director of advocacy for the Family Policy Alliance of Kansas: “With the passage of Value Them Both in the Kansas Senate, the people of Kansas now have the opportunity to have a say in ensuring that our live-saving laws are protected.”

Kansas Governor and Democrat Laura Kelly, however, said the amendment would harm the economy and send the state back “to the Dark Ages.”

“There are a number of CEOs who really look to see what kind of inclusive policies we have in place that make it easier for them to recruit and retain a talented workforce,” Kelly told the Associated Press. “It will be an economic development issue for us.”

Other Senate Democrats also said they worried about how the amendment could give too much control to the government.

“Make no mistake: this amendment opens the door for the Legislature to ban abortion in cases of rape or incest,” Senate Democratic Leader Dinah Sykes said. “If approved by Kansas voters, the Legislature will have unchecked power to ban abortion including in cases where the life of the mother is at risk. And it paves the way for politicians in Topeka to ban abortion outright.”

Photo courtesy: Irina Murza/Unsplash


Amanda Casanova is a writer living in Dallas, Texas. She has covered news for ChristianHeadlines.com since 2014. She has also contributed to The Houston Chronicle, U.S. News and World Report and IBelieve.com. She blogs at The Migraine Runner.



Kansas Lawmakers Vote to Approve Ballot Proposal That Suggests There Is No Right to an Abortion