Plurality of Kansas voters support pro-life Value Them Both amendment

Forty-seven percent of likely Kansas voters plan to vote in favor of the Value Them Both amendment on the August 2 ballot, a new poll found. Forty-three percent said they intend to vote against it and the remaining 10 percent are undecided.

The proposal would amend the state constitution’s bill of rights to make clear that “the constitution of the state of Kansas does not require government funding of abortion and does not create or secure a right to abortion.” Contrary to information being pushed by pro-abortion activists, Value Them Both does not ban abortion but rather ensures that pro-life laws currently in effect remain in effect.

OPINION: Why we must pass the Value Them Both amendment in Kansas

An explanatory statement will appear on the ballot noting that “The Value Them Both Amendment would reserve to the people of Kansas, through their elected state legislators, the right to pass laws to regulate abortion, because there is no Kansas constitutional right to abortion or require the government funding of abortion.” The ballot also will indicate that a vote against the amendment would “leave in place the newly discovered right to abortion first recognized” by the state Supreme Court in 2019.

The poll showed Kansas voters divided on the issue of abortion. Overall, 49 percent of respondents expressed agreement with the U.S. Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health decision that overturned the Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion nationwide. Forty-six percent of those surveyed disagreed with the decision, while 5 percent were unsure how they felt about it.

When asked to describe their position on abortion, 43 percent of likely Kansas primary voters agreed with a statement proclaiming that “there should be no government restrictions on abortion.” An additional 19 percent believed that “abortion should only be allowed in cases of rape, incest or to save the life of the mother.” Sixteen percent thought that “non-medically necessary abortion in Kansas should be legal but not past viability of the fetus.”

The remainder of voters either supported abortion to “save the life of the mother” (7 percent), banning abortions “after a heartbeat is detected” (6 percent), wanted to see abortion “banned under any circumstance” (5 percent) or were “unsure” of their position (5 percent).

Although most Kansas voters supported legal abortion in at least some cases, a majority (54 percent) opposed the use of government funds to provide abortions for those who need assistance. Additionally, more voters reported trusting Republicans (52 percent) than Democrats (37 percent) to handle the abortion issue.

The passage of Value Them Both by voters is not guaranteed. Millions of dollars of out-of-state money from pro-abortion groups has been poured into a campaign against the amendment.

–Dwight Widaman | Metro Voice