By MICHAEL R. POMPEO
The state of Kansas has always been defined by leadership and courage. Its plains were home to the first generations of American settlers, who left teeming cities to lead America westward and establish new roots. In the years prior to the Civil War, it was Kansans who stood against slavery and stopped its expansion. Kansas was the first state to hold a referendum on women’s suffrage in 1867, and Charles S. Scott, Kansas born-and-raised, was the lead attorney for Oliver Brown in the landmark Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education. Kansas has always set the standard in the fight to secure inalienable rights and aid those who are most in need. That’s why at times of great division and difficulty in America, the nation looks to Kansas for the path forward.
Kansas is again going lead the way, and this time the stakes are for life. The Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Dobbs v. Jackson finally overturned Roe v. Wade and returned the power to regulate abortion to states. All across the country, this democratic process is already underway – except in Kansas, my home state. The right of Kansans to decide this important issue has been taken away not by the Supreme Court of the United States, but by the Supreme Court of Kansas.
In the 2019 case Hodes & Nauser v. Schmidt, the Kansas Supreme Court pronounced that the state’s constitution protects a woman’s right to obtain an abortion, causing all existing limits on abortion to become “presumed unconstitutional.” Many Kansans believe strongly that thissweeping decision by the Kansas Supreme Court overrode the democratic process.
The ruling already has had serious consequences in Kansas. Abortions in the state have increased by 13% since the ruling took effect. Dismemberment abortions – in which the unborn, even after the point of viability, is cut into pieces while still in the womb, then extracted limb by limb – have increased by 17%. This method of abortion, in addition to its particularly barbarous cruelty to the unborn, also carries with it severe health risks for the mother, both long-term and short-term.
I am a Kansan. I’ve represented the people of Kansas and fought for them in Washington as a Congressmen, and also on the world stage as America’s 70th Secretary of State. Kansans do not want to see their state fund abortions with taxpayer money, or have unsafe and uninspected abortion mills in the state they call home. What every Kansan wants, fundamentally, is the right to vote on this important issue.
The “Value Them Both” amendment will secure this right. It simply makes clear that the state constitution “does not create or secure a right to abortion,” and it affirms that “the people, through their elected state representatives and state senators, may pass laws regarding abortion.” That’s it. Full stop.
Yet this simple amendment has met with severe opposition from pro-abortion radicals who favor unlimited abortion on demand, even painful late-term abortions when the child can feel excruciating pain. These extreme activists have said publicly that they “don’t support abortion limits of ANY kind.” They have fought against every reasonable limit on the abortion industry in the legislature and the courts. Rather than trust the people, they are hiding behind the 2019 decision to execute their agenda. Don’t let them.
There are over 50 pregnancy clinics all across Kansas that offer financial, emotional, and medical help to women, free of charge. Many centers offer this support for up to three years after their child is born. Their work should be championed and expanded; this work is what Kansas should become known for. I know that the people of Kansas are strong and compassionate enough to make that a reality.
I also know that there is great division about this issue, both in Kansas and America. It is imperative that we remain civil and respectful despite this deep and profound disagreement. The assaults against pregnancy centers since the Supreme Court decision are unconscionable – some of these have happened in Kansas. As Secretary, I traveled to many countries where they still settle disputes with violence; America must be better than that. Kansas must be better than that.
Public pressure weighs against those of us who fight for life. Those who have used the pro-life movement for political gain have already begun to bow to this pressure and surrender. I ask Kansans who believe in life not to surrender, to never give an inch – I know I never will. Vote “Yes” to the “Value Them Both” amendment and restore the voice of the people in Kansas.