The Kansas Legislature is rapidly pushing through bills Leadership has prioritized for the Session, in the hopes of getting them completed before COVID-19 shortens or interrupts their work. The irony of course, is that even with this pressure, Leadership also refuses to require mask wearing by legislators, or mandate infection disclosures.
With this rush of Leadership's favorite measures, comes a rush of Action Alerts from us, to you. Especially as the pandemic has shut down public gatherings in the Statehouse, contacting your legislators by email or phone is the best way to make yourself heard. And so we flood your inboxes.
Sorry. But we're not sorry, because this is the work of engaged citizens and dedicated advocates. We are, however, grateful.
Thank you.
That said, here's an action we'd like you to take now.
Ask your KS State legislators to protect reproductive rights in the KS Constitution
The Kansas House of Representatives is likely to vote on either HCR 5003 tomorrow, Friday, January 22, 2021. This (and the identical Senate version, SCR 1602) is a measure to amend the KS Constitution to remove the right to bodily autonomy contained therein. We ask you to contact your State Representative to ask them to oppose this resolution, and instead protect our rights to make decisions about our own health.
Contact information for your Representative (and your Senator, email them, too, if you haven't yet!) is available at our tool:
Here is some suggested text, if you want to use it. Feel free to add your personal experiences, or to use your own words entirely.
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Subject: Please oppose HCR 5003/SCR 1602
Please oppose passage of HCR 5003/SCR 1602. The Kansas Constitution protects the right of people to make decisions about their own health care. This amendment would take that right away from every Kansan, and put their reproductive health decisions in the hands of legislators. These intensely personal decisions should be made by individuals in consultation with their faith, family and physician, not by legislators far removed from the circumstances.
Instead, I ask you to support expanded access to health care, science-based health education, more funding for public schools, higher wages, family leave, and any number of other policies that have been proven to reduce the rate of unplanned pregnancies. We can protect both women and children in this way, together.
Please reject HCR 5003/SCR 1602.
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Thank you for your advocacy! Thank you for doing more than voting.
Danny Novo
Communications Director
