Let Kansas voters have their say on abortion amendment in August

Moving goalposts is nothing new in politics. But inventing new goalposts where none existed before is truly innovative. Winning under those conditions would be a challenge for anyone, even Super Bowl-winning Chiefs placekicker Harrison Butker.

I’m referring of course to the recent insistence by The Kansas City Star Editorial Board that Kansas voters must cast their ballot for the Value Them Both Amendment for life in November’s election instead of August’s. Some quick background is in order.

After a ruling from the Kansas Supreme Court last year, unlimited and unregulated abortion in Kansas is inevitable. State legislators are just now beginning to comprehend that this radical ruling is likely to require taxpayer-funded abortion unless we do something about it.

The Value Them Both Amendment would simply restore the people’s ability to have a say in regulating the abortion industry. Additionally, Value Them Both would keep in place bans on taxpayer-funded abortions and brutal late-term abortions.

This is why the Catholic Bishops of Kansas are working with a broad coalition to place Value Them Both on the statewide ballot in August, when every registered voter in Kansas can participate.

Previously — and to its credit — The Star Editorial Board called upon the Legislature to allow the residents of Kansas to help decide the contentious issue of abortion at the ballot box.

Now, The Star and certain politicians have invented the idea that the vote must be held in November when voter participation is the greatest. I question the timing of this new hurdle and wonder why it has been brought up selectively with other ballot questions in the past.

It appears that few people realize state lawmakers overwhelmingly approved a vote allowing the Kansas Constitution to be amended just last November. That off-year constitutional amendment question drew only 18% participation statewide.

Our check of The Star’s record — and that of nearly all politicians supporting putting the current amendment on the November ballot — is that they raised no objections regarding a lack of voter participation in that November election.

But that’s not all. According to data from the nonpartisan Kansas Legislative Research Department, there have been 197 local school bond elections since 2010. Only 59 have been held in November, and just 11 in general elections when we chose a president.

Our search uncovered nary an objection to these elections held in every month of the year except July. Why are the rules of fair play now magically changed for those seeking the most favorable date to pass the Value Them Both Amendment?

The Star’s editorial suggests a nefarious motive on the part of Value Them Both proponents, stating “that stance — that we can’t trust too many voters with this vital decision — gives Kansans very little credit for knowing what they’re voting on.”

Such a motive couldn’t be further from the truth. We trust the voters and want them to hear our message.

Based on similar state elections elsewhere, opponents will easily outspend the mom-and-pop donor base of pro-life advocates by at least 3-to-1, relying on the deep pockets of Planned Parenthood, the ACLU and others from the abortion industry.

Combine that with the cost of advertising needed to rise above the noise of the upcoming reality-show election drama between President Donald Trump and Sen. Bernie Sanders (or whoever), and our messaging will be easily drowned out.

It is eminently reasonable for proponents of any ballot initiative to seek to put it on the ballot where its message can be heard and where success seems most promising. This is not dirty politics. It’s responsible stewardship and good strategy.

So let’s be clear: Every registered voter in Kansas can vote in August. We ask The Star’s editorial board and certain legislators to end their quixotic quest for some pie-in-the-sky voter participation trophy, drop their objections to a vote in August and let the people of Kansas have their say.

Chuck Weber is executive director of the Kansas Catholic Conference.

This story was originally published March 4, 2020 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Let Kansas voters have their say on abortion amendment in August."