By NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — As the Kansas House debates a measure to change abortion policy through a constitutional amendment, when to put that amendment on the ballot was a point of contention.
"The amendment as proposed, will place the question on the ballot in the August primary of 2022," State Representative Jason Probst said. "I think there's a number of us who believe that if you're going to change the constitution, that should happen at a time when most voters come out. That is decidedly at the November general election."
Last time this amendment was proposed in 2020, the question of when peeled off enough moderate Republican votes to fall short of the two-thirds majorities needed to put the question before the voters. The House Majority Leader pulled a procedural maneuver to put the amendment at the top of the agenda Friday morning.
"We always see a bigger turnout by large, large margins in November," Probst said. "During U.S. Senate races and Presidential races, there's always better turnout."
Kansas will have a U.S. Senate race on the ballot in 2022, but it remains to be seen if there will be a Republican primary as there was in 2020, or if the only competition will be in the general election. Probst offered an amendment to change the date of the vote on the House floor and that amendment failed on a 40-84 vote.