Kansas voters will soon decide the fate of the state’s current abortion law.
As is, Kansas laws allow for a woman to receive an abortion in cases of rape or incest, if a pregnancy endangers a mother’s life and if a pregnancy is fewer than 22 weeks of a typical 40-week term.
The law generally “protects a woman’s right to decide whether to continue a pregnancy,” members of the Kansas Supreme Court ruled in 2019.
The “Value them Both” campaign against abortion robs individuals of such rights.
If successful, the Aug. 2 measure will nullify the court’s ruling and give state legislators — who have a supermajority of Republicans in both the Senate and House — the responsibility to draft new abortion laws.
These are the very lawmakers who have continued to prevent the expansion of Medicaid, denying more than 150,000 low-income Kansans access to health insurance. These are the lawmakers who refused to grant Gov. Kelly’s proposal to eliminate a food sales tax beginning July 1, instead opting to wait until 2023, when they expect Derek Schmidt to take the helm, and credit. These are the lawmakers who overrode Gov. Kelly’s veto to allow 18-to-20-year-olds to carry concealed, loaded weapons in public without a permit.
Because of this hypocritical track record — no holds barred when it comes to lethal weapons and yet punitive social welfare measures — it gives us no peace knowing these same legislators would be calling the shots for what should be an individual or couple’s personal decision.
Just this last session, Rep. Trevor Jacobs, R-Fort Scott, proposed a ban on all abortions along with a level one felony.
UNLESS a majority of Kansans participate in the Aug. 2 referendum, the writing is on the wall. Kansas will fall in line with its ultra-conservative counterparts, not only denying women say-so over their bodies, but also endangering their health.
Early voting begins July 13.
Turnout for a primary election is typically low — and concentrated. This is when the party faithful decide who makes the final cut.
For Kansas, that means two times as many Republicans than Democrats will be at the polls to decide between Schmidt or Arlyn Briggs as the gubernatorial nominee, as well as other races.
It’s critical that those who claim no party allegiance are aware they can vote on the abortion measure. In fact, it’s our only chance as citizens to weigh in on the measure.
The race for governor is also a referendum on abortion.
Considering the U.S. Supreme Court’s June 24 decision that eliminates a constitutional right to an abortion, Gov. Kelly said she opposes any measure that “interferes with individual freedoms.”
“A woman’s reproductive health care decisions should be between her and her physician,” Kelly said.
