Kansas is the ‘new New York’ for abortion

by Chuck Weber

Is Kansas the “new New York” for abortion? Regrettably, the short answer is yes.

Barely a year ago, state lawmakers in New York cheered — literally cheered — passage of the Reproductive Health Act (RHA).

Signed into law by a Catholic governor, the RHA allows termination of preborn babies up to the moment of birth, for any reason. State taxpayers even pay the cost of abortion for Medicaid clients.

The Kansas Legislature responded with a bipartisan resolution condemning the RHA, saying, in part, that the law incited “abusive behavior toward a pregnant woman.”

Little did our lawmakers know Kansas would soon stand shoulder-to-shoulder on abortion with New York.

In a stunning development just weeks later, the Kansas Supreme Court issued a “worst- case scenario” decision for defenders of the unborn in the abortion case Hodes & Nauser v. Schmidt.

By enshrining abortion as a “natural right” in the state constitution, the legal landscape is now clear for unlimited and unrestricted abortion. Once Kansas abortion restrictions and laws are challenged, they are all but certain to be found unconstitutional and unenforceable.

These measures include, but are not limited to, prohibitions on late-term abortions, parental consent for minors seeking an abortion, taxpayer-funded abortions (including Medicaid-paid abortion) and much more.

Put another way, Kansas is the “new New York” when it comes to abortion. 

The immediate impact of the ruling allows live dismemberment abortion to continue in Kansas. Few realize an average of nine preborn babies die in Kansas through this grisly abortion technique each week. (Source: Kansas Department of Health and Environment)

So how do we respond?

The only legal remedy is passage of a constitutional amendment simply stating abortion is not a constitutional right in Kansas. While it won’t outlaw abortion, passing this amendment will save lives and protect mothers in crisis by once again allowing enforcement of Kansas’ life-saving abortion laws.

Here’s how Kansas Catholics — and anyone else — can help.

• Contact your state senator and representative and urge them to vote YES on allowing a statewide vote on the amendment. You can find your elected official by going online to: www.KansasCatholic.org and click TAKE ACTION.

• On that page, you can also sign a petition that also makes this request.

• Most importantly, PRAY. We have dedicated our constitutional amendment efforts to Our Lady of Guadalupe. Pray the rosary! Join the bishops of Kansas in the Kansas Rosary Crusade online at: www.Kansas RosaryCrusade.org.

 I invite you to learn more about the many layers of this issue. Visit the website here.

Our Lady of Guadalupe, pray for us!