Proposal to ban abortion in Kansas splits pro-life groups

The chairman of a Valley Center, Kan., organization said Friday it has support from 25 House members for a bill that would let voters decide whether to ban abortion in the state.

“The Kansas Bill of Rights recognizes that all men are possessed of equal and inalienable natural rights, including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” the group, Personhood Kansas, posted on its website Friday. “This amendment will ensure that — regardless of one’s age — these rights are not denied to any person.”

The group’s leader said the goal wasn’t to force a showdown over the landmark Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion, although he said their amendment, if successful, would likely end up in court...

Not all abortion opponents favor such an amendment.

Mary Kay Culp, executive director of Kansans for Life, said she’s afraid of pushing the issue to the U.S. Supreme Court. She feared the court could reaffirm the legality of abortion given its current makeup. Culp said abortion foes already have won a number of legislative victories that she thinks are effective and will ultimately be upheld in court.

“Therefore, we do not and cannot recommend a Kansas Personhood Initiative, nor a similar provision known as the Heartbeat Bill, nor do we consider support or opposition of these initiatives as an indication that an individual or a candidate is pro-life,” Culp said in a statement issued late Friday.