‘If you don’t own yourself, you own nothing’: Why one founder says he’ll relocate his business if Kansas bans abortion

Editor’s note: This story is part of a series on the 2022 election produced by the KC Media Collective, an initiative designed to support and enhance local journalism. Members of the KC Media Collective include Startland News, Missouri Business Alert, Kansas City PBS/Flatland, KCUR, The Kansas City Beacon and American Public Square.

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Andrew Morgans has built his life (and by extension, his businesses) around the concept of pursuing freedom; Freedom not only for himself, but his friends, family and team.

The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent ruling to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade decision on abortion rights — sending the issue of health care access back to the individual states — was a direct attack on that ideal, he said. 

“Waking up to hear that overnight Missouri had a trigger law that immediately made abortion illegal in our state was horrific,” said Morgans, founder and CEO of global e-commerce marketing agency Marknology and apparel company Landlocked, both headquartered in Kansas City.

“Bodily autonomy is an essential, unconditional liberty — more important than property rights,” he continued. “If you don’t own yourself, you own nothing.”

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The Ruling

Roe v. Wade is a 1973 lawsuit that led to the Supreme Court ruling that unduly restrictive state regulation of abortion is unconstititional, and pregnant individuals are entitled to an abortion during the first three months of their pregnancy. It also characterized abortion as something that was covered under constitutional rights of privacy. 

A pregnant individual is anyone with a uterus, including women, transgender men and nonbinary people.

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When the Supreme Court issued its ruling to reverse Roe v. Wade in June, Missouri — one of 13 states with “trigger laws” designed to immediately ban abortions within the state if the decades-old case was ever overturned — implemented an abortion ban that covers all cases, except if the patient’s health is severely compromised. 

The immediate action made Morgans question his businesses’ future as tax-paying entities in the region, supporting governments that would strip rights from its people, he shared. 

“We have a team here of 37 people between Marknology and Landlocked,” Morgans said, noting that Landlocked is an apparel company run by Marknology. “I have young women in this company who are thinking about having their tubes tied from fear of what will happen if they have an unwanted pregnancy. I have women in this company who are on birth control buying Plan B in bulk because, if they can ban abortions, then they sure as hell can ban birth control.”

Kansas voters will decide Tuesday, Aug. 2, whether to remove protection of abortion rights from their state constitution. It will be the first electoral vote on abortion since the high court overturned Roe v. Wade.

Click here to read more about the Kansas vote from KCUR, a member of the KC Media Collective alongside Startland News.

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On the Ballot:

Explainer: The Value Them Both Amendment would affirm there is no Kansas constitutional right to abortion or to require the government funding of abortion, and would reserve to the people of Kansas, through their elected state legislators, the right to pass laws to regulate abortion, including, but not limited to, in circumstances of pregnancy resulting from rape or incest, or when necessary to save the life of the mother.

A vote for the Value Them Both Amendment would affirm there is no Kansas constitutional right to abortion or to require the government funding of abortion, and would reserve to the people of Kansas, through their elected state legislators, the right to pass laws to regulate abortion.

A vote against the Value Them Both Amendment would make no changes to the constitution of the state of Kansas, and could restrict the people, through their elected state legislators, from regulating abortion by leaving in place the recently recognized right to abortion.

Click here to read the full text and to see a sample ballot for the Aug. 2 Kansas vote.

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Organizers of the Value Them Both campaign have indicated the ultimate goal is to clear the way for the Kansas Legislature to pass far-reaching legislation to restrict access to abortion in the Sunflower State.

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Economic Impact of Abortion Bans

Join the Kansas City Media Collective, virtually, for a conversation about the economic, legal and human implications of the outcome.

As Kansans prepare for an Aug. 2 special election to vote on whether the state constitution guarantees a right to abortions, what are your questions?

Click here to register for the free event.

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If Kansas follows through with such a ban, Morgans said, he’ll shift the conversation with his team directly to relocating his companies’ headquarters to other states or territories.

“We’re a Missouri and Kansas small business. But if I continue to support Missouri and Kansas with my business — and keep operating as usual in the coming months as if nothing happened — I am no better than the men and women that made this happen with their votes in the first place,” Morgans said. 

As a founder who has bootstrapped his companies from the ground up, Morgans is not afraid to pivot his business if need be, he continued — adding that quality of life for him, his sisters who help lead Marknology and Landlocked, and his team is at the forefront of the companies’ efforts.

“I don’t know exactly what the future will look like, but it’s not that hard for us to register our business somewhere else and be working remotely,” he said. “Then we would be paying our several hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxes to a different state that is more aligned with how we feel as Americans. Because for me, the biggest way that I can make an impact is with my dollar and with my business. I believe that some states will probably even welcome us if we decide to relocate.”

Morgans has not spoken with other business owners who are looking to move their business based on abortion laws, but conversations surrounding abortion have sparked among founders, he noted.

It can be difficult to separate business and personal life, Morgans acknowledged, but the two do not always need to be compartmentalized.

The same day Missouri banned abortion, Morgans took to Landlocked’s social media to make a simple but weighted statement: Landlocked is pro-choice.

He understood it would cost the company some followers, but he was more concerned about those needing to know the company was on their side, he said. 

“We still have the freedom of speech, and what better time to use it than when the women of this country are under attack,” Morgans said. “For people who follow me, I want them to know where I stand. There are many reasons people start their own businesses and one of those is for the freedom to stand up for what we think is right. I didn’t speak out for attention or applause. I was angry when I posted my comments, and I’m still angry.”

 

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Morgans’ emphasis on freedom stems from his unique upbringing, he shared. Although Morgans appears to be a white, red-headed male, he grew up in various parts of Africa as a fourth-generation preacher’s kid in a Pentecostal family. 

“I was able to overcome what I felt was more like a cult than a faith-based community in regard to the legalism attached,” Morgans said. “With that I had to overcome everyone I knew — my friends and my family — for what I believed to be the truth. That doesn’t mean I don’t believe in God. It doesn’t mean I don’t have faith; it just doesn’t look like how it used to. I think finding that freedom and being able to stand up for what I believe has impacted the leader I am today.”

The freedom to choose what one does with their body is innately American, Morgans said, in the same way it is innately American to worship one’s religion. 

“It’s not about putting God second or anything like that; it’s that we’re Americans first and everything else second. Freedom is something that we all share regardless.” Morgans said. “We can personally practice what we believe without making the decision for others. If the government can tell you what you can or can’t do with your body, where do we draw the line?”

Watch a video below about a “Post-Roe Midwest from Flatland on Kansas City PBS, a member of the KC Media Collective alongside Startland News.

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This story is possible thanks to support from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, a private, nonpartisan foundation that works together with communities in education and entrepreneurship to create uncommon solutions and empower people to shape their futures and be successful.

For more information, visit www.kauffman.org and connect at www.twitter.com/kauffmanfdn and www.facebook.com/kauffmanfdn