<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/2/1581346576201.jpeg" alt=" Daniel Caudill / Kansas News Service " />
 <figcaption> Daniel Caudill / Kansas News Service </figcaption>
 </figure>By STEPHEN KORANDA, <a href="https://www.kcur.org/post/four-kansas-republicans-stopped-their-partys-anti-abortion-bill-gop-says-its-not-over#stream/0">Kansas News Service</a>TOPEKA, Kansas — The Kansas House narrowly rejected a
 constitutional amendment Friday that would have said there’s no right 
to abortion in the state constitution.After the defeat, Republican leaders promised this “was just the beginning.”“Don’t
 be surprised when it comes up again because it will come up again this 
session,” House Majority Leader Dan Hawkins said after the vote.The
 final count was 80-43, just short of the 84 votes needed to put the 
issue on a statewide ballot vote where Kansans could reject it or add it
 to the state constitution.Four Republicans split from the rest of their party and voted against the amendment.Republican
 leaders used a procedural move to hold the vote open for about six 
hours in an attempt to gain enough support, but it ultimately didn’t 
garner any additional votes.Republican Rep. Don Hineman opposed 
putting the issue up to a statewide vote in August and said the 
amendment should be rewritten with the vote held instead during the 
general election in November.“Throughout my 12-year legislative 
career, I’ve maintained a staunch pro-life record,” he said during the 
vote. “My ‘no vote’ today is not in contradiction to that.”The fight came in reaction to a Kansas Supreme Court ruling <a href="https://www.kcur.org/post/kansas-supreme-court-state-constitution-protects-abortion-rights#stream/0">last year</a>
 that said women have a right to abortion protected in the state 
constitution. In response, abortion opponents moved to change the 
constitution to specifically say the state promises no right to abortion
 and it can be regulated by lawmakers.Both sides agreed the 
stakes were high. Supporters of the amendment said that the right to 
abortion recognized by the Kansas high court could be used to knock down
 abortion restrictions <a href="https://www.kcur.org/post/while-kansas-fights-over-abortion-again-heres-what-states-laws-allow-today">already in state law.</a> They include clinic regulations and a ban on most abortions after 22 weeks of pregnancy.Critics
 of the amendment argue it ultimately could have far-reaching 
consequences beyond simply protecting restrictions in state law.“It strips a subset of Kansans of their constitutional rights,” Democratic Rep. Stephanie Clayton said.Right
 now, there are protections for abortion rights at the federal level and
 the state level. The constitutional amendment would eliminate any 
state-level protections.If the U.S. Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade 
decision is overturned, that would eliminate the protections on the 
federal level and potentially open the door to a state-level ban on 
abortion.The influential group Kansans for Life announced it 
would oppose Medicaid expansion until the constitutional amendment was 
approved by lawmakers and sent to a statewide ballot vote.“For 
years, we have taken great pains to stay out of the Medicaid Expansion 
fray,” KFL’s Director of Government Relations Jeanne Gawdun said. 
“However, recent court rulings could force state taxpayers to subsidize 
the abortion industry through Medicaid and other sources.”That 
adds a new wrinkle to the political dynamics, because expansion is a top
 priority for Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly and many lawmakers in both 
parties. It could potentially offer health care coverage for more than 
130,000 low-income Kansans.Republican Senate President Susan 
Wagle took procedural moves after the House vote to block Medicaid 
expansion. She said the Senate would not take it up until the amendment 
passed.“This vote,” Wagle said, “just completely changed the course of the 2020 legislative session.”Stephen
 Koranda is Statehouse reporter for Kansas Public Radio and the Kansas 
News Service, a collaboration of KCUR, Kansas Public Radio, KMUW and 
High Plains Public Radio covering health, education and politics. Follow
 him on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/kprkoranda">@kprkoranda</a> or email skoranda@ku.edu.

Four Republicans stopped anti-abortion bill, but GOP says it's not over