Concerning an upcoming special election, the Value Them Both Coalition (VTB) is urging all Kansas voters to vote yes on a new amendment that will protect the bipartisan and common sense limits on the abortion industry that have been enacted in Kansas over the past 25 years, but that were just nullified, in essence, by the Kansas Supreme Court.
"A recent Kansas Supreme Court ruling removed the legal foundation for all existing laws that permit basic regulations on abortion," VTB explains on its campaign website. "Value Them Both (the name of the amendment) simply allows for these existing laws to be protected."
If the amendment is not passed, warns VTB, then Kansas could become "a permanent destination for extreme abortion procedures." Women from other states where abortion is now prohibited – one of these is nearby Missouri – will opt to travel to Kansas once they realize that the abortion industry there is basically a free for all.
"Without Value Them Both, Kansas abortion law will become as extreme as New York and California," VTB warns.
Without the Value Them Both amendment, Kansas will become an abortion tourism state
Concerning the recent Dobbs v. Jackson County Women's Health Organization ruling from the Supreme Court that effectively overruled both Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey, VTB had this to say in a statement:
"Today's decision on Dobbs v. Jackson emphasizes the importance of our democracy, restoring the power to the states to decide how and if they are going to place limits on the abortion industry."
"The U.S. Supreme Court restored the people's ability to come to individual consensus on abortion limits – but not in Kansas. As it stands today, unelected judges in Kansas are the ones who will decide the fate of abortion limits. The Value Them Both Amendment is a reasonable approach and will ensure Kansas does not remain a permanent destination for the most extreme and painful abortion procedures."
All the Value Them Both amendment really does is solidify existing abortion laws in Kansas, which are at risk of potentially being nullified by extremist judges. VTB, which is trying to stop this from happening, is led by Kansans for Life, the Kansas Catholic Conference, and Kansas Family Voice.
Certain safeguards on abortion are also now at risk in Kansas. These include safe clinics, meaning basic sanitation, sterilization, and safety regulations; the requirement that only medical doctors with hospital admitting privileges be allowed to perform abortions; and the mandate that women first be informed about the physical and emotional implications of abortion before being allowed to get one.
Children, meaning minors, who wish to get an abortion in Kansas currently have to notify their parents first, but that is also up for grabs without the amendment in place to protect it. Late-term abortions could also become legalized in Kansas, making it a destination state for baby murder right in the center of America's heartland.
Another thing the Value Them Both amendment seeks to protect against is the possibility that Kansas taxpayers end up being forced to foot the bill for Planned Parenthood clinics dotted across the state, as well as the abortions they perform.
"Without the Value Them Both Amendment, unlimited abortion will come to Kansas," VTB warns. "Our legislature will no longer be able to hold the abortion industry accountable, just like we've seen in states like New York and Illinois."
"With our voices and our vote, we will let it be known that Kansas values both women and our unborn children."
Kansans: do you really want to pay for out-of-state women's late-term abortions?
Current law in Kansas prohibits the state from forcing taxpayers to pay for abortions. A bill pertaining to this was passed back in 2013, however, the state Supreme Court could overrule that, along with all of the other aforementioned protections.
The Value Them Both amendment does not, just to be clear, have anything to do with federal funding for abortion. The Hyde Amendment currently protects federal Medicaid funds from being used for abortion, but it does not in any way affect state dollars.
"However, there are members of Congress, along with President Biden, who are calling to overturn of the Hyde Amendment. If this happens, it will be even more important that we protect our state dollars with Value Them Both," VTB warns.
The latest news about abortion laws from state to state can be found at Abortions.news.
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