Our Kansas Bishops and I are asking for as many Kansans as possible to fill out postcards to show support for a State Constitutional Amendment. The Amendment language will be clear and concise: there is NOT a right to abortion in the Kansas Constitution.
Several laws have been passed over the years to limit abortions, to promote children in the womb and mothers, as well as allow parents to be involved in medical decisions concerning pregnant teens. One such law passed by our Kansas legislature outlawed dismemberment abortions, but it never went into effect because it was subsequently challenged in a lawsuit which made its way to the Kansas Supreme Court.
Two years later, in the Spring of this year, the Kansas Supreme Court justices did not rule against the law because the law passed was so clear that they ruled in a manner similar to what the US Supreme Court did back in 1973 and turned to the Kansas State Constitution, which they have not done in more than 40 years when other cases came to them.
Knowing that the political climate has changed with Alabama, Missouri and other states nearing the point where there would be no abortion clinics in those states, the pro-abortion forces were on high alert to change the laws at the state level, even if they had to dictate them from the State Supreme Court.
The Kansas Constitution reads that Kansans have a right to life and liberty. They found that under the term “liberty” the right to abortion, and did not stipulate any limits! This declaration by our State Supreme Court undermines any rights we have to limit abortions and effectively allows abortion at any time and under any circumstances. Laws currently in place, such as parental notification are in jeopardy. Let us pray for our Supreme Court justices who ruled on the side of allowing abortion in our state to not only continue, but could easily allow Kansas to be one of the most liberal states in regards to abortion rights.
Of course, the media has not covered this change and when it does, be assured it will not represent our Catholic beliefs. So our only remedy is to amend the Kansas State Constitution. This is a two-step process involving, 1) 2/3 of the Kansas House and Senate need to agree to put the amendment on a ballot so that the citizens can vote, and 2) Over 50% of the Kansas voters must then vote for the amendment for it to pass.
We do not have two thirds of the Kansas legislature on our side yet, so we need to flood them with requests to persuade some of them to put the amendment on the ballot for citizens to vote.
Next Sunday we will conduct a Postcard Petition Campaign during all Masses to send to legislators. You can also sign the petition online, at www.KansasCatholic.org. Our Bishops also ask us to pray the Rosary every Thursday for our success, asking for the help of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Additional information is available on page 12 of today’s bulletin.
The Catholic Church has been called a sleeping lion, so let’s awake and roar the truth of life and love to those in public office in our Sunflower State and beyond.