Students for Life work to help pass Value Them Both bill
Article - 3 minute read
On August 2, Kansans will go to the polls to vote on the Value Them Both bill. This bill, if passed, would overturn a 2019 Kansas Supreme Court ruling. The 6-1 decision in Hodes & Nauser v. Schmidt ruled that Section 1 of the Kansas Bill of Rights “affords protection of the right of personal autonomy, which includes the ability to control one’s own body, to assert bodily integrity, and to exercise self-determination. This right allows a woman to make her own decisions regarding her body, health, family formation, and family life—decisions that can include whether to continue a pregnancy.”
Voting in favor of the Value Them Both bill would not ban abortion, nor would there be any immediate changes in Kansas’ abortion laws. What it would do is allow us to stop taxpayer-funded abortions, stop third-trimester abortion procedures, and reinstate specific abortion clinic safety regulations.
Students for Life, a pro-life organization working on building and becoming the Pro-Life Generation and eventually abolishing abortion is working to help pass the Value Them Both bill. Students for Life Action’s KS Value Them Both Field Coordinator Gabby Lara is leading the way in Kansas as she works on the ground by spending multiple days a week knocking on doors and canvassing in different areas. These are followed by ‘Super Saturdays’ where more of Lara’s students can join and increase their efforts.
“When I became pro-life, I began getting involved with Students for Life of America and wanted to raise my voice for the preborn,” Lara said. “After graduating from Benedictine College, I wanted to stay in Kansas and further my pro-life advocacy because I believe this amendment is important for women, the preborn, and taxpayers of Kansas.”
Lara’s work has led her to recruit and equip the Pro-Life Generation to convey support for the Value Them Both Amendment to voters in Kansas. Misleading information on the bill has brought confusion to both pro-life and pro-choice Kansans; many believing it will be an outright ban on all abortions. Due to such misunderstanding, Lara and other Students for Life advocates have been working on educating voters and the press on what this bill actually does.
“The Value Them Both Amendment would reverse the Kansas court case that created a nearly unlimited ‘right’ to abortion,” Lara explained. “This amendment would make it clear in the Kansas State Constitution that abortion is not guaranteed and restores Kansas’ ability to place basic restrictions on the abortion industry.”
Should the bill pass, Lara said there will still be more to do for Students for Life Action. Top priorities for the organization include passing bills that ban Chemical Abortion pills and protecting children from the earliest stage of development. In a post-Roe America, they are also working to ensure no woman stands alone. To help women with unplanned pregnancies get the help they need, they have stood up resources at StandingWithYou.org.
However, should the bill not pass, Students for Life Action will continue working in Kansas to protect the preborn. Lara said, “Making sure strong, pro-life leaders are in office will help our fight in the state.”
Though there is only a little over a week left until the August 2 vote, if there are any students interested in helping the efforts of Students for Life in their final days of door knocking in Kansas, students can go to studentsforlifeaction.org/volunteer and select Kansas. Students can also get involved on their campus during the upcoming school year by visiting studentsforlifeaction.org/get-involved.