LAWRENCE (Kansas) — According to The Associated Press, Kansas voters rejected Tuesday’s proposed amendment to the Kansas state constitution that would have stated that there is no right to abortion in the state.
Kansas became the first state to elect to allow abortion rights after the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Dobbs.
For now, the vote preserves abortion access in Kansas and is a rebuke for regional trends of restricting access. Kansas has been a popular destination for abortion seekers from other states since Roe V. Wade was overturned.
The amendment was supported by supporters because it was needed to correct the Kansas Supreme Court’s overreach when it struck down some of Kansas’s earlier abortion restrictions in 2019.
Opponents claimed that the amendment would allow state legislators to pursue an absolute ban on abortion.
The majority of Republicans remained silent before Tuesday, and they wouldn’t say how much they would restrict abortion access if this amendment was passed.
Kansas has restrictions in its state. This includes limiting abortions after 22 weeks to pregnant women who are in imminent danger of their lives. An ultrasound is required by the state before any procedure.
These restrictions would have been in effect regardless of whether or not the amendment was passed. This vote in the red state could be an indicator of what is to come in later in the year in other abortion votes across the country.
Dylan Lysen Reports on politics for Kansas News Service.