Abortion Rights Will Face Critical Ballot Test In Kansas

By Jordan Smith, The Intercept

Danielle Underwood was sidestepping the question.

Underwood, director of communications for Kansans for Life, was a guest on “Up to Date,” a morning talk show on KCUR, the public radio station in Kansas City, Missouri.

The topic was an upcoming vote in neighboring Kansas on the “Value Them Both Amendment,” which, if passed, will strip reproductive rights from the state’s constitution and turn decisions about the legality of abortion over to the Legislature.

Underwood tried to cast the measure as a modest proposal. She was adamant that a “yes” vote would do no more than allow state lawmakers to enact “reasonable” regulations to ensure the health and safety of pregnant people seeking care. “We want to make sure that we’re able to have those kinds of protections for women in our state,” she said.