Abortion amendment groups see rise of intimidation and theft in Kansas, including vandalized church

Kansas churches say they are heightening security as tensions rise over abortion in the state, with a building and statue at an Overland Park church vandalized over the weekend.

The political climate in Kansas has intensified amid debate over a proposed anti-abortion amendment to the state constitution, with groups on both sides of the issue reporting intimidation and theft of yard signs.

More: Can churches participate in politics? How little restrictions could impact Kansas abortion laws

Both anti-abortion and abortion rights groups have been targeted across the country in the wake of a U.S. Supreme Court decision last month overturning the Roe v. Wade decision that protected the right to an abortion nationally, as well as in the aftermath of a leaked draft of that same ruling in early May.

But the debate on abortion has grown increasingly intense in Kansas.

Voters in the state will head to the polls on Aug. 2 to vote on whether the Kansas Constitution should confer a right to an abortion. If approved, the amendment would give the Legislature significant freedom to further restrict the practice in Kansas without court interference.

Police say Kansas church vandalism is related to abortion debate

Photos show the words "My body, my choice" sprayed on a wall at the Ascension Catholic School. The church said other parish buildings and a statue of the Blessed Mary were also vandalized with red spray paint, with the graffiti discovered Sunday morning.

The church has prominently advocated in support of the constitutional amendment, including donating $10,000 to the Value Them Both Coalition, campaign finance records show.

More: Kansas sees surge of interest in anti-abortion amendment after Roe is overturned

Officer John Lacy, a spokesperson for the Overland Park Police Department, said a female suspect was seen running northbound from the scene but noted no arrests had been made and that the matter was still under investigation.

"We believe this incident is related to recent abortion court ruling," Lacy said in an email.

In a statement, Archbishop Joseph Naumann, of the Archdiocese of Kansas City, in Kansas, said the church's Knights of Columbus were watching the building the night the attack occurred, a sign of the precautions churches throughout the archdiocese were taking, he said.

More: Kansas abortion amendment debate features misleading claims. Here's a Value Them Both fact check.

"This incident of vandalism is an escalation of the defacing and stealing of signs that has happened at many of our churches and at the homes of many individuals," Naumann said.

Mackenzie Haddix, a spokesperson for the Value Them Both Coalition, a group of organizations advocating for the amendment's passage, said the defacing, destruction or stealing of pro-amendment signs was a near daily occurrence and pointed to vandalism of signs in Basehor, Topeka, Emporia and beyond.

A large pro-amendment sign at Assumption Church across the street from the statehouse has been torn in recent days.

"The people of Kansas deserve an honest debate about this issue based on facts — not vandalism and misleading advertisements," Haddix said in a statement.

Abortion-rights group reports intimidation amid amendment debate

Ashley All, a spokesperson for Kansans for Constitutional Freedom, the principal group opposing the amendment, condemned the vandalism in a statement, as well as the theft of yard signs.

"We understand that there are deeply held opinions on both sides of this issue, but we encourage Kansans to be respectful and civil in their discourse," All said in an email.

She noted KCF volunteers, as well as attendees at abortion rights marches across the state, have also been intimidated and threatened.

Kansas is no stranger to the abortion debate turning hostile and, at times, violent.

More: What to know about George Tiller, a Kansas abortion provider assassinated by anti-abortion extremist

Wichita doctor George Tiller was targeted for years by anti-abortion activists for providing late-term abortions. His clinic was firebombed and he was shot in 1993, but later recovered before eventually being assassinated outside his church in 2009.

The state's four abortion clinics didn't immediately respond when asked if they had heightened security in recent weeks or if they have seen a rise of threats since the U.S. Supreme Court ruling on abortion.

Andrew Bahl is a senior statehouse reporter for the Topeka Capital-Journal. He can be reached at abahl@gannett.com or by phone at 443-979-6100.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas church vandalization believed to be related to abortion ruling