Voters in Kansas rejected an amendment that would have weakened protections for abortion in the state, a huge win for reproductive rights advocates in the first test at the ballot box since Roe v. Wade was overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court in June.
The GOP-sponsored initiative known as Amendment 2 would not have banned abortion in the state, but a yes vote “would affirm there is no Kansas constitutional right to abortion or to require the government funding of abortion” and opened the door for the Republican-controlled legislature to pass further restrictions. At the time the Associated Press called the race, the no vote was winning by a 25-point margin.
The initiative was an attempt to overturn a 2019 decision by the Kansas state Supreme Court, which ruled 6-1 that the state constitution “enables a woman to make decisions regarding her body, health, family formation, and family life, including the decision whether to continue a pregnancy.” Due in large part to that decision, Kansas continued to ensure abortion rights despite the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in late June that access to the procedure is not protected by the U.S. constitution. Republican-controlled states bordering Kansas, such as Oklahoma and Missouri, now have near-total bans in place, making it a safe haven for neighboring populations.
The victory comes in a state that former President Donald Trump won by 15 points in 2020. It also comes after Republican legislators specifically
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