Kansas House at a standstill over abortion amendment vote

Some have ordered food to be delivered to the House chambers, others have passed around snacks.

TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNT) – Legislators in the Kansas House of Representatives are at an impasse on the vote to regulate abortion in the state.

The vote on the possible constitutional amendment began shortly after 10 a.m. on Friday and is still ongoing. Supporters of the bill want to give the legislature power to regulate abortion in the state; however, they lack the necessary votes in the house. The preliminary vote taken on Thursday showed 80 representatives in support of the bill and 41 opposed. A two-thirds majority, or 84 votes in favor, is needed in order to pass the bill.

Representatives are required to remain in their seats unless excused by the Speaker of the House and even then only a certain number of people are allowed to leave at a time. Some have ordered food to be delivered to the House chambers, others have passed around snacks.

Despite the vote continuing into the afternoon hours, neither side seems likely to budge anytime soon.

The Kansas Senate has already passed the bill that would put the constitutional amendment on the August ballot.