Dear Editor,

There seems to be lots of questions regarding the Constitutional Amendment that will be on all Kansas ballots on Aug. 2. Here is a summary of HCR 5033, also known as the Value Them Both Amendment.

First and foremost, this question will be on ALL Kansas ballots in August and it will be up to ALL Kansans to vote to approve or reject this amendment to the Kansas Constitution. To fulfill this important civic duty, it’s important to understand what the Value Them Both Amendment does and does not do.

Regardless of the U.S. Supreme Court decision on abortion, the Kansas Supreme Court’s 2019 decision has decreed unlimited abortion the law of our state. Only a state constitutional amendment approved by a majority of Kansans will restore the state constitution to the way it was before this state court ruling and protect existing abortion regulations from being struck down.

The Text of the Amendment: “Regulation of abortion. Because Kansans value both women and children, the constitution of the state of Kansas does not require government funding of abortion and does not create or secure a right to abortion. To the extent permitted by the constitution of the United States, the people, through their elected state representatives and state senators, may pass laws regarding abortion, including, but not limited to, laws that account for circumstances of pregnancy resulting from rape or incest, or circustances of necessity to save the life of the mother.”

Does this amendment ban abortion? No. It allows Kansans to place limits on the abortion industry through their elected officials as they have done for over two decades. It does not ban abortion.

Why do we need this amendment? A 2019 ruling by the Kansas Supreme Court created a nearly unlimited “right” to abortion in the state of Kansas. If the state constitution is not amended, Kansans will be powerless to enact or keep existing commonsense protections such as parental notification, abortion clinic helath and safety standards and inspections, late-term abortion restictions and informed consent for women. Additionally, without the amendment, state taxpayer dollars will soon be used to fund abortions, and Kansas will become a permanent destination for abortion, like New York and California.

What kinds of regulations are at stake?

Parental notifications: The Value Them Both Amendment ensures parents will be able to guide their daughters through major life decisions related to pregnancy and abortion: not stranges, traffickers, or abortion providers who monetarily benefit from sales of abortion.

Abortion Clinic Sanitation, Safety and Inspection: The abortion industry fought against all basic health, sanitation and safety standards, even after police reports verified dirty and dangerous conditions in a now-closed Kansas City, Kan. abortion clinic. The Value Them Both Amendment will help prevent this kind of medical abuse of vulnerable, low-income women.

Restrictions of abortions in the second and third trimester: Abortions can and do happen late into pregnancies using more brutal methods. The Value Them Both Amendment can protect Kansans’ ability to restrict painful procedures like live dismemberment abortions.

Informed Consent: Every woman has the right to know who is going to perform surgery on her and the risks involved with the procedure. The Value Them Both Amendment protects informed consent.

How does the amendment impact current laws on taxpayer-funded abortion?: Value Them Both would ensure that state tax dollars will not be used to pay for abortions. The legislature passed a law in 2013 to protect state taxpayers from being forced to fund abortion. However, because of the 2019 court ruling, this restriction will soon be struck down unless Kansans pass the Value Them Both Amendment.

And while sometimes issues on ballots are confusing as to whether Yes means Yes No means No on this issue it is straightforward in that Yes means you approve passing this amendment, No means you do not approve passing the amendment.

I would encourage everyone to do their own research and study HCR 5033. This is a very important issue that is up to us as Kansans to understand and use our voting power on Aug. 2 to make the decision we each feel is in the best interest of the state and the future we want to provide for the generations to come.

Cee Heller

Ellsworth