"A Kansas Republican is once again looking for a path to stop abortion, with a new proposal to change the state constitution to say life begins at conception. Sen. Mike Thompson, a Shawnee Republican, introduced Senate Concurrent Resolution 1623 on behalf of Doug Johnson, calling it an 'equal rights amendment.'"
"The same language is used in Senate calendar listings, where no mention is made of additional language that makes it an anti-abortion measure. According to its text, the amendment seeks to 'clearly guarantee the equal rights of men and women, beginning at conception.'"
"In 2022, Kansas voters defeated a state constitutional amendment that would have changed that language and opened the door to an abortion ban. The proposal failed by a 59% to 41% vote."
Kansas Senator Mike Thompson introduced Senate Concurrent Resolution 1623, framed as an 'equal rights amendment' guaranteeing equal rights beginning at conception. The proposal uses language that obscures its anti-abortion intent in Senate calendar listings. The resolution currently sits in the Senate Committee on Federal and State Affairs, which Thompson chairs, with no scheduled hearing date. This effort follows the 2019 Kansas Supreme Court ruling protecting abortion rights based on personal autonomy and the 2022 voter rejection of a similar constitutional amendment by 59% to 41%. The renewed attempt to restrict abortion through constitutional language demonstrates continued political efforts despite clear voter opposition.
#abortion-restrictions #constitutional-amendment #kansas-politics #reproductive-rights #voter-opposition
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