Doug Johnson, chairman of the Kansas Equal Rights Amendment Committee, asked Senate President Ty Masterson, the Republican gubernatorial nominee, to lead the effort to bring the Senate and House together before Dec. 31 to vote on an amendment that could then be placed before Kansas voters. Two-thirds of both chambers would need to endorse an amendment for it to be placed on statewide ballots in Kansas.

The leader of Kansas Equal Rights Amendment Committee, an organization opposed to abortion in Kansas, is asking the Legislature to convene in special session in 2026 to advance an amendment to the Kansas Constitution granting inalienable rights at the point of conception. This Jan. 27, 2026, image is of anti-abortion demonstrators inside the Capitol in Topeka, Kansas. (Photo by Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)