A Huge Win in Kansas for the Future of Abortion Access
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
August 3, 2022
PRESS CONTACT:
Britton Lee
[email protected]
WASHINGTON — Yesterday, Kansans sent a clear message: No to abortion bans. As the first state to vote directly on the right to abortion following the overturning of Roe v. Wade, voters used their power to strike down the Value Them Both amendment, allowing abortion to remain safe and legal in Kansas. This is an important victory for the reproductive healthcare, freedom and justice movement working within a very hostile environment.
Yesterday’s results signal an overwhelming victory for reproductive freedom, with nearly 59 percent of voters opposing the amendment, 41 percent approving it, and almost 97 percent of total votes counted. Nearly 20 percent of Kansas voters came out just to vote on the amendment — which received over 140,000 more votes than the two gubernatorial primaries combined. These numbers support what we’ve learned and shared over the years: Ballot measures transcend party lines and often receive higher turnout than candidates.
The results last night also confirm what we know to be true: Americans overwhelmingly support access to abortion and reproductive freedom. This should send a clear message to other states looking to adopt abortion bans.
The Value Them Both amendment sought to amend the state’s constitution and would have created a new section in the Kansas Bill of Rights concerning the regulation of abortion, leading to a slippery slope of harmful state legislation affecting one’s right to choose.
The BISC team has been supporting and working closely with the campaign, Kansans for Constitutional Freedom. Since 2019, we have also worked with Kansas-based organizations to support the most impacted communities, while helping Kansas better understand the importance of reproductive healthcare. We applaud their amazing effort that resulted in protecting the health and lives of Kansans.
The story does not end in Kansas — this is one stop in our journey toward reproductive freedom. The people will have a chance to defend reproductive rights at the ballot this November in Kentucky, Montana, Vermont, California and potentially Michigan.
BISC will continue to work with and support our state and national partners to protect our right to manage our bodies, our destinies, and our privacy.
To learn more about what will be on the ballot this November, check out BISC’s 2022 Ballot Measures to Watch webpage and the Ballot Measure Hub, which will be updated throughout the fall.