What’s not the matter with Kansas
By 
The atavistic misogynist faction of American politics finally got a good old-fashioned ass-kicking last night:
The right to an abortion will remain in the Kansas Constitution. In the first ballot test of abortion rights in a post-Roe America, Kansas voters turned out in historic numbers to overwhelmingly reject a constitutional amendment that would have opened the door for state lawmakers to further restrict or ban abortions across the state. The Associated Press called the race at 9:40 p.m central. The vote “no” campaign led with 61 % to 39 % with 2540 of 3994 precincts reporting.
The problem here is that snooty coastal urbanites in the Sunflower State don’t understand Real American Values like “10-year-old girls should be forced to give birth at the point of a gun”:
Out-of-touch coastal elites in Kansas may reject forced birth, but out in the Heartland of America (Harvard Law), real Americans (20-something Catholic converts in bow ties) actually *like* it https://t.co/kKOEOvgm6x— Eric Levitz (@EricLevitz) August 3, 2022
And while obviously this is a distant second as victories for Kansas women go, it’s still pretty satisfying:
Kansas Rep. Aaron Coleman, who has faced multiple abuse allegations and was arrested twice during his first term, handily lost his Democratic primary on Tuesday to a newcomer who had the backing of the party establishment, according to unofficial election results. Melissa Oropeza, a health care professional with a doctorate in nursing, appeared to win with 49%, or 1,203 votes, followed by Faith Rivera, a longtime community activist, with 38%, or 923 votes. Coleman, the 21-year-old freshman lawmaker, received 13%, or 321 votes, according to Wyandotte County election results.
Go Jayhawks!