The results of the vote over a constitutional amendment that could have removed the right to abortion in Kansas gave rise to two common reactions: surprise (that a red state would vote in favor of abortion rights) and hope (that the process could be replicable elsewhere).
Neither response, though, tells the full story.
The real lesson in Kansas is that direct democracy — where voters weigh in on issues without the muddying effects of special interest groups that can dominate state legislatures — can be a bulwark against extreme positions. But it’s being eroded in many states.
