Kansas Voters to Have Their Say on Abortion

 

by Pa Rock

Citizen Journalist

There is an amendment on the Kansas primary election ballot today that gives the voting public its first chance to respond to the Supreme Court's recent reversal of Roe v Wade.   Access to abortion (with a few exceptions) is currently guaranteed by a Kansas Supreme Court interpretation of the Kansas State Constitution up until the 22nd week of pregnancy, and because of that constitutional protection, the state legislature cannot change or curb that right.  The amendment on today's Kansas primary ballot would give legislators the right to change the rules regarding access to abortion, something that would certainly result in more restrictions to the procedure, or its outright elimination, in this fairly red state.

But for today, at least, the question is not in the hands of the state's legislators, or even its judges.  The fate of abortion in Kansas today rests with the voters, and there are strong indications that the state's voters may not be as close-minded on the issue as their leaders.

Today the voters in Kansas will have their say on how much autonomy women should have over their own bodies, and whether a woman and her doctor should be able to make a decision about ending a pregnancy, or should that be a political determination left to politicians.

So far the rules have been set by the courts and the legislatures, but today, starting with Kansas, the people will begin having their say.

People who do not want the legislature to be able to limit or ban abortions in Kansas should VOTE NO on the "Protect Them Both" Amendment to the Kansas Constitution.