Kansas Resolution Regarding Constitutional Human Life Amendments (HCR 5009)

This law was last updated on Sep 6, 2018

State

Kansas

Number

HCR 5009

Status

Failed to Pass

Proposed

Feb 3, 2017

Topics

Personhood

Full Bill Text

kslegislature.org

HCR 5009 proposes to amend the constitution of the state of Kansas (upon voter approval) to provide equal rights protections to fertilized embryos.

The resolution would amend Section 1 of the constitution to read as follows:

“§ 1. Equal rights. All men are possessed of equal and inalienable natural rights, among which are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Recognizing the authority of the state of Kansas to exercise its police power and its sovereign right to adopt individual liberties in the constitution of the state of Kansas more expansive than those conferred by the constitution of the United States, the state of Kansas shall hereby guarantee the inalienable rights, equal protection and due process of law of every human being from the beginning of the biological development of that human being, including fertilization.”

If passed by electors, the following statement would be printed on the ballot for voters:

“Explanatory statement. The purpose of this amendment is to expand the class of human beings that currently enjoy inalienable rights, equal protection, and due process of the law under the constitution of the state of Kansas to every human being from the beginning of the biological development of that human being, including fertilization.

A vote for this proposition would amend the Kansas constitution to explicitly incorporate into it the inalienable right to life of every human being irrespective of age, race, gender, health, function, condition of dependency, including physical or mental dependency, or method of reproduction, from the beginning of their biological development, including fertilization. The proposed constitutional amendment also would prohibit the state from discriminating against any class of human beings in the application, interpretation and enforcement of its laws.

A vote against this proposition would not amend the constitution, in which case the current federally mandated legal status of preborn humans would remain that of a class of human beings that can intentionally be killed.”

If passed by the House and Senate, the proposed amendment would be submitted for voter approval at the general election in November, 2018.