Simone Lawson
The Kansas Constitution has been amended 95 times since 1861, with the most recent amendment taking place on November 8, 2022. Amendments to the Kansas Constitution can be proposed by either house of the Kansas State Legislature, with two-thirds of the members of each chamber approving the resolution. The Kansas Constitution can also be amended through a constitutional convention, where two-thirds of the members of each house of the state legislature vote in favor of placing the question of amending the constitution on a statewide ballot. The process of amending the Kansas Constitution is outlined in Article 14, which ensures that any changes to the state's fundamental document are carefully considered and approved by the electors of the state.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of amendments to the Kansas Constitution | 95 |
| Date of the last amendment | November 8, 2022 |
| Name of the last amendment | Amendment 2 |
| Process of amendments | Legislatively referred constitutional amendment or constitutional convention |
| Proposal of amendments | Either house of the Kansas State Legislature |
| Approval of proposals | Two-thirds of the members of each chamber |
| Ballot type | Statewide ballot or special election ballot |
| Number of amendments per election | 5 |
| Voter approval | Simple majority |
| Legislative veto amendment | Creates a legislative veto over the governor |
| Legislative veto amendment rationale | Response to unprecedented legal and political scenarios |
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What You'll Learn
Kansas Constitution amended 95 times
The current Kansas Constitution, originally known as the "Wyandotte Constitution", has been amended 95 times since its adoption on October 4, 1859. This makes Kansas' constitution the most amended state constitution in the US, with California's constitution being the second-most amended, at 524 times.
Kansas' constitution can only be amended via a legislatively referred constitutional amendment or by a constitutional convention. The former method involves either house of the Kansas State Legislature proposing an amendment to the state's constitution. Two-thirds of the members of each chamber must approve the resolution. If they do, the proposed amendment goes on either the next statewide ballot during which members of the state legislature are elected or on a special election ballot if the legislature agrees to hold a special election.
The latter method involves the legislature, by an affirmative vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, submitting the question, "Shall there be a convention to amend or revise the constitution of the state of Kansas?" to the electors at the next election for representatives. If a majority of all electors voting on the question vote in the affirmative, delegates to such a convention shall be elected at the next election for representatives thereafter, unless specified otherwise by law. The convention would then have the power to amend or revise the constitution, subject to ratification by the electors.
The most recent amendment to the Kansas Constitution, Amendment 2, was approved by voters on November 8, 2022.
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Kansas Constitution change procedures
The Kansas Constitution is the state constitution of Kansas. It was first adopted by voters on October 4, 1859, and was originally known as the "Wyandotte Constitution." The current Kansas Constitution has a Preamble, a Bill of Rights, and 15 articles. It has been amended 95 times, most recently on November 8, 2022, when voters approved Amendment 2.
The Kansas Constitution can only be amended via a legislatively referred constitutional amendment or by a constitutional convention. The process for amending the constitution is governed by Article 14 of the constitution. One path to amendment is for either house of the Kansas State Legislature to propose an amendment. This resolution must be approved by two-thirds of the members of each chamber. If it is approved, the proposed amendment goes on either the next statewide ballot during which state legislators are elected or on a special election ballot if the legislature agrees to hold a special election. If a simple majority of the electors of the state who vote on the proposition agree with it, it becomes part of the constitution.
Another path to amendment is through a constitutional convention. The legislature, by a two-thirds vote, may submit the question, "Shall there be a convention to amend or revise the constitution of the state of Kansas?" or a question about revising specific articles of the constitution, to the electors at the next election for representatives. If a majority of electors vote in the affirmative, delegates to the convention are elected at the next election for representatives, unless the legislature provides for the election of delegates at a special election. The delegates must have the same qualifications as provided by the constitution for members of the legislature, and members of the legislature are eligible for election as delegates. The convention has the power to choose its officers, appoint and remove employees, set compensation, determine its rules, judge the qualifications of its members, and carry on the business of the convention. Each delegate receives compensation as provided by law, and vacancies are filled as provided by law. The convention has the power to amend or revise all or part of the constitution, as indicated by the question voted on to call the convention, subject to ratification by the electors. No proposed amendment or revision of an existing constitution shall be submitted by the convention to the electors unless it has been available to the delegates in final form at least three days on which the convention is in session, prior to final passage, and receives the assent of a majority of all the delegates.
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Kansas anti-abortion amendment
In August 2022, Kansas held a referendum on a proposed constitutional amendment that would remove the right to abortion in the state. This proposal was defeated by an 18-point margin, with "No" winning in all four congressional districts.
The amendment, referred to as the "Value Them Both Amendment" or Amendment 2, was introduced in the Kansas Legislature in mid-January 2020. It was modelled after a similar amendment to the Tennessee Constitution, which was a reaction to a ruling by the Tennessee Supreme Court. The Kansas amendment sought to declare that the state constitution does not guarantee a right to abortion, giving the state government the power to prosecute individuals involved in abortions and removing any requirement for the state to fund abortions.
The referendum was significant as Kansas is surrounded by states with Republican-leaning, abortion-restrictive governments. It was also the first of five abortion-related ballot measures in the U.S. in 2022. The campaign for the referendum saw abortion rights groups spend $11.3 million, while abortion opponents spent almost $11.1 million.
Despite the amendment's defeat, abortion rights advocates in Kansas remain concerned about the ongoing efforts to restrict abortion access in the state. For instance, a bill was introduced that would expand fetal personhood into Kansas tax law, granting fetuses tax breaks and state IDs, and establishing a registry of fetuses with the Kansas Department of Revenue. Defenders of this bill argue that it does not modify court procedures, but critics argue that it poses a threat to constitutional rights and freedoms, requiring the development of systems to track pregnancies and investigate suspected fraud.
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Kansas legislative veto proposal
In February 2021, Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt and a group of Republican state lawmakers proposed a constitutional amendment that would allow voters to create a legislative veto over state executive agency rules. The amendment would give lawmakers the power to repeal or suspend state executive agency rules, with the goal of increasing legislative oversight of regulatory activity.
The proposal was met with opposition from Democratic lawmakers, who argued that the Legislature already had oversight over agencies in the executive branch and that the amendment was an attempt by Republican leadership to undermine Governor Laura Kelly and her cabinet. Despite this opposition, the amendment was approved by both chambers of the state legislature, and appeared before Kansas voters on the November 2022 ballot.
During a Senate hearing, law enforcement and tech groups expressed concerns about the potential negative implications of the legislation for red light cameras, fingerprint analysis, and other common government AI uses. They wanted to ensure that there would not be unintended consequences for standard government practices.
In 2025, Governor Laura Kelly vetoed a bill that would have required schools with human growth or sexuality classes to show fetal development videos. The bill was locked in abortion politics, and Kelly argued that it was legislative overreach and could cost taxpayers. However, her veto was overridden, and the bill became law.
In the same year, Kelly also vetoed a bill that would have prevented public health officers from banning gatherings and requiring quarantine, citing the potential harm to efforts to mitigate infectious disease outbreaks. Once again, her veto was overridden, and the bill became law.
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Kansas Constitution ratification
The Kansas Constitution, originally known as the "Wyandotte Constitution", was adopted by voters on October 4, 1859, and Kansas became the 34th state on January 29, 1861. The current Kansas Constitution has a Preamble, a Bill of Rights, and 15 articles. The Kansas Constitution has been amended 95 times, with the most recent amendment being approved by voters on November 8, 2022.
The Kansas Constitution can only be amended via a legislatively referred constitutional amendment or by a constitutional convention. Article 14 of the Kansas Constitution, labelled "Constitutional Amendment and Revision", outlines the two paths by which the constitution can be altered. The first path is through a legislatively referred constitutional amendment, where either house of the Kansas State Legislature can propose an amendment with a two-thirds approval resolution from each chamber. The second path is through a constitutional convention, where the question of amending or revising the constitution is put to the electors, and if a majority votes in the affirmative, delegates are elected to the convention.
The delegates to the convention are chosen from among the members of the legislature or candidates for membership in the legislature and have the same qualifications as provided by the constitution for these roles. The convention has the power to choose its officers, appoint and remove employees, determine its rules, and carry out the business of the convention. The delegates receive compensation as provided by law, and any vacancies are filled as per the law. The convention can amend or revise the constitution as per the question voted on to call the convention, subject to ratification by the electors.
For a proposal to be submitted to the electors, it must have been available to the delegates in final form for at least three days on which the convention is in session and must receive the assent of a majority of all the delegates. The yeas and nays upon final passage of any proposal are entered in the journal of the convention. The legislature can also submit the question of whether there should be a convention to amend or revise the constitution, or a convention limited to revising specific articles of the constitution, to the electors at the next election for representatives.
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Frequently asked questions
The Kansas Constitution can be altered through a legislatively referred constitutional amendment or by a constitutional convention.
Either house of the Kansas State Legislature can propose an amendment to the state's constitution. Two-thirds of the members of each chamber must approve the resolution. If they do, the proposed amendment goes on either the next statewide ballot during which members of the state legislature are elected or on a special election ballot.
If two-thirds of the members of each house of the state legislature vote in favor, the question "Shall there be a convention to amend or revise the constitution of the state of Kansas?" shall be placed on a statewide ballot.
If a simple majority of the electors of the state who vote on the proposition agree with it, it becomes part of the constitution.
The voters of Kansas approved Amendment 2 on November 8, 2022.
