Kansas “Value Them Both” Amendment Comes to Vote

Kansas abortion laws are as extreme as New York & California’s. Kansans can soon vote to change that.

Did you know that today, Kansas’ abortion laws are just as extreme as in New York, California, and other radically progressive, pro-abortion states? That’s right, despite the fact that the Sunflower state currently leans culturally and politically conservative, and the state’s legislature has a decades-long history of enacting pro-life measures, the state has no active limits on abortion. Even though the decision in the Dobbs case overturning Roe v. Wade returned the abortion debate to the state level for the people to decide, the hands of Kansans are still tied behind their back.

Why? Because in 2019, the state’s liberal Supreme Court ruled that a so-called “right” to abortion was protected by the Constitution. (This ringing a bell to anyone? Sounds pretty similar to when the U.S. Supreme Court fabricated a “right” to abortion and claimed our federal Constitution protected the right to kill unborn children via Roe).

The 2019 Kansas case that opened the door for abortions on demand is known as Hodes & Nauser v. Derek Schmidt. It’s worth noting that Hodes and Nauser, the plaintiffs in the case, were abortionists who made an immense profit at the time by ending the lives of unborn babies in Kansas via dilation and evacuation abortions. When the Kansas legislature advanced a law that would prohibit this brutal method of abortion, in which the abortionist literally starves the baby of nutrients and then removes her from her mother’s womb limb from limb, Hodes and Nauser were furious that they wouldn’t be able to keep their killing-facilities open. This begs the question: should they have even had standing to bring this case before the court, given their clear conflict of interest and preference for abortions to remain legal? Luckily for them, and tragically for unborn babies, the liberal state Supreme Court turned a blind eye to who was pleading the case, and wrongly asserted that the Kansas Constitution “protects a woman’s right to decide whether to continue a pregnancy.” In a move of sheer absurdity, they justified their ruling by citing Section 1 of the Kansas Constitution Bill of Rights, which states that “all men are possessed of equal and inalienable natural rights, among which are LIFE, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Talk about twisted. 

When the Court’s decision came down, it effectively rendered every Kansas limit on abortion unconstitutional. Since 2019, laws limiting painful dismemberment abortions, as well as requirements for abortion clinic inspections have been deemed null and void. The Kansas City Star has projected that abortion rates in the state could increase by 1000% if this “right” to abortion remains in place. In this post-Roe world, this means that Kansas could soon become a radical abortion hub for out-of-state women seeking abortions. This drastically goes against not just the desires of Kansans, but also their deeply held moral beliefs and their faith, which informs them that all innocent life is sacred and worthy of protection.

What makes matters worse is that Kansas is currently governed by Laura Kelly. This woman pretends to be a moderate, airing campaign ads in which she literally walks down the middle of a road, but actually espouses radically pro-abortion beliefs and advocates for policies that promote the pro-death agenda of the leadership of the current Democratic party. During COVID-19 lockdowns, she was one of the extremists who shut down houses of worship and grocery stores, but kept the doors of Planned Parenthoods and abortion facilities wide open.

But, there is hope for Kansans! On August 2nd, voters will have the opportunity to vote on the Value Them Both Amendment. If enough people vote yes, the state’s Constitution will be amended to clearly state: “Kansans value both women and children,” and “the constitution of the state of Kansas does not require government funding of abortion and does not create or secure a right to abortion.” Kansans will also be voting that day in the primary race for Governor, in which KS Attorney General Derek Schmidt hopes to prevail, and advance to the general election to oppose Governor Kelly’s extreme abortion agenda. 

This race has become close and contentious. Pro-life people sporting friendly purple “Value Them Both” signs have been attacked… at one home, signs were stolen and a rock was thrown through a window. At Church of the Ascension in Kansas City, a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary was vandalized with the words: “My body, my choice.” Pro-abortion groups in Kansas want voters to believe that the Value Them Both Amendment is demeaning to women. They have plastered billboards all over the state with the iconic image of Rosie the Riveter and the words: “Trust Women, Vote No.” In reality, they don’t want women to have the power, or to be trusted. To insinuate that women need the “right” to end the life of their child in order to succeed and be happy goes against the very nature of women to nurture life. And the fact that they have vandalized a statue of Mother Mary, the perfect model of a virtuous woman, speaks volumes.

A “yes” vote on the Value them Both Amendment would simply restore the democratic process in Kansas when it comes to protecting unborn life. It would put the power back in the hands of the people and their duly elected state legislators to enact simple, commonsense limits on abortion that even many Democrats support. Let’s pray for the people of Kansas as they approach this pivotal election day, and pray that all Kansans give a resounding  “Yes!” to Life on Tuesday, August 2nd.

Image: Kansas Art Museum Reflection/Shutterstock

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Prudence Robertson serves as Host of Pro-life Weekly. She comes to EWTN News from the national pro-life group Susan B. Anthony List, where she served as a spokeswoman for the group and has been featured in nationally syndicated media outlets such as AXIOS, The Daily Caller, Washington Times, The Federalist, and many others. She is a proud graduate from Franciscan University of Steubenville where she studied History and Human Life Studies. She has a great love for her Catholic faith; Saints Faustina and Clare of Assisi are two of her particularly special patronesses. Prudence resides in Alexandria, Virginia.

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