Abortion Debate: Kansas Ballot Measure Would Amend State Constitution

Kansans will vote Tuesday on a proposed constitutional amendment declaring that the state constitution does not protect a right to abortion, marking the first such ballot measure to come to voters since the Dobbs decision.

The proposal is being put to voters for a reason: In 2019, the Kansas Supreme Court ruled that the state constitution protects a right to abortion, which meant that even in the wake of Roe v. Wade’s reversal, Kansas can’t enact more protective pro-life laws. The effort to pass this amendment predates Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the case in which the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe, and originated from a pro-life campaign to counteract the prior court ruling that has functioned as the state’s own Roe decision.

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Alexandra DeSanctis

Alexandra DeSanctis is a contributing writer at National Review.

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Kansans will vote Tuesday on a proposed constitutional amendment declaring that the state constitution does not protect a right to abortion, marking the first such ballot measure to come to voters since the Dobbs decision.

The proposal is being put to voters for a reason: In 2019, the Kansas Supreme Court ruled that the state constitution protects a right to abortion, which meant that even in the wake of Roe v. Wade’s reversal, Kansas can’t enact more protective pro-life laws. The effort to pass this amendment predates Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the case in which the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe, and originated from a pro-life campaign to counteract the prior court ruling that has functioned as the state’s own Roe decision.