After the Supreme Court struck down the national right to abortion
access in June. The issue returned to the states, which have since
implemented a patchwork of protections, restrictions or total bands
in at least five states this year. Abortion rights will be on the
ballot this year, Ali Rogan reports from Kansas, the first state
holding a vote since the end of row.
In America's Heartland. Kansas has long been a refuge for people
seeking abortions.
Lawmakers and local courts started expanding abortion rights in 1969
4 years before Roe v. Wade.
In 1991 anti abortion activists to send it on the clinic of Dr George
Tiller, one of only a few doctors to perform third trimester abortions.
They called it the summer of mercy. Dr. George Tiller was shot and
killed in church yesterday and in 2009 and anti abortion extremist
shot and killed Tiller. But with a vote Tuesday, Kansans might begin
writing a new chapter in the state's abortion rights history. All
eyes are kind of on Kansas right now, Ashleigh Brink is the
Clinical director at Trust Women in Wichita, one of the state's four
remaining abortion clinics.
And the site of Dr Tiller's old practice. A lot of our patients are
scared. They're concerned. They're confused after the Supreme Court
decision in June overturned Roe v. Wade and 50 years of abortion
precedent, some nearby states like Missouri and Oklahoma Band the
procedure.
But the Kansas Constitution protects the state's law allowing abortion
up to 22 weeks. That's according to a 2019 rolling by the state Supreme
Court. Abortion opponents say the court overstepped its bounds. Now
Kansans will vote on whether or not to reject that ruling and give
only legislators power over abortion policy fight in Kansas began
here at the State Capitol, the Republican controlled legislature
voted to approve the constitutional amendment.
That appears on the ballot tomorrow.
If the amendment passes, it would allow those same lawmakers to vote
again to further restrict or potentially even ban access to abortion.
In the state. Elected liberal judges, leading to a fierce, expensive
fight on both sides of the abortion rights debate paved the way for
a total ban on abortion. Jolie is a lawyer and mother of two in the
suburbs of Kansas City.
I'm Kim. I'm talking to voters about the August 2nd election. She
had never volunteered for a campaign before. But then the Supreme
Court overturned Roe v. Wade. That was a very hard day. I was devastated.
Not surprised, but devastated. Since then, she's been canvassing
for Kansans for Constitutional freedom, which supports a no vote
Tuesday. This is really about advocating for the future that I want
for the next generation. I do not want my Children entering a society
where their rights can be taken away.
Okay?
Overnight on a whim by the government. You are absolutely not too
late. We need a lot of help in the next few days a few days before
the vote, the no campaign was helping new volunteers prepared to
knock on doors have also had multiple Yes, voters become undecided
or even low, lean towards voting. No, because there is a lot of misinformation
going around, and when they realize what's really at stake with this
amendment that is persuasive to some, Yes, voters, they say. What's
really at stake is a possible total ban on abortion, even though
that's not
Not in the amendment itself. Ashley All is the spokesperson for Kansans
for constitutional Freedom. This amendment gives politicians the
power to pass any law they want regarding abortion, including a total
ban with no exceptions. No, it doesn't on day one ban abortion, but
it gives them the power to ban it. Constitutional majority is hereby
declare adopted Republican Super majorities in both chambers supported
the amendment.
And some have admitted in unguarded moments that the ultimate goal
is to ban abortion, state Senator Mark Stephens said So in a closed
door meeting in a recording obtained by a local news site,
For this and then
And then we'll be able to make further laws further.
Refined with my goal.
Live story.
The amendment. Opponents also say it's languages misleading. It asks
the voter to consider three statements. The Kansas Constitution does
not require government funding of abortion, nor does it create or
secure a right to abortion and that the Legislature may pass abortion
laws, which could include exceptions for rape, incest and to protect
the life of the mother.
But Kansas already bans taxpayer funding of abortion. And even though
the amendment mentions exceptions, which majority of Qin's and support
it doesn't require any future law to include them and mentions certain
terms that in in a lot of people's minds when you mentioned those,
they automatically think maybe those are protected, But that is not
the case. Amendment supporters say there's no ulterior motive.
Elizabeth Kirk is a constitutional law professor at the Catholic
University of America and a Kansas native include that specific language
about exceptions and I can't speak for you know the Legislature that
passed the language, But I think to mention those exceptions is just
to give by way, of example, the sorts of things right that Kansans
typically tend to do, which is to provide
For exceptions in those cases think that's something that might confuse
people, because if it's just providing an example of something that
may happen, it may not happen. There may be laws that do not provide
those exceptions. If someone reads that amendment and sort of thinks
it's some sort of secret, gotcha. I think that would be a misreading
of the plain language of the amendment going back to the time of
Roe v. Wade, But some experts say the language isn't so plain.
Allen is chair of the political science department at Wichita State
University.
The amendment language is clearly designed to get voters to think
about something they dislike.
Which is state funding for abortion and also something they like
which is exceptions to abortion restrictions. The amendment language
may not be deliberately confusing, but it is very confusing. The
Pro Amendment campaign says that to suggest its language is unclear
is to take a dim view of Kansas voters.
Are you planning to vote on August 2nd. It's wrong to tell the people
of Kansas that we can't read a paragraph and understand what we're
voting on. Danielle Underwood is the spokesperson for the value them
both coalition, she says the other side is misleading voters by warning
of an impending abortion ban. We could throw out hypotheticals of
what could potentially happen in future legislatures.
But the essential question that's in front of Kansas voters is whether
or not the people will have a say in what happens in terms of limits
on the abortion industry in our state, Underwood says the 2019 state
Supreme Court ruling in peril all existing abortion restrictions
in Kansas that includes a 24 hour waiting period, parental notification
requirements and strict health and safety guidelines. We have two
choices ahead of us.
Whether we're going to have unlimited abortion happening in unregulated
facilities, or we will have a state where we can keep our existing
limits in place and have further discussions about what might be
necessary. This is one of our our trust women clinic in Wichita is
filled with evidence of Kansas is existing regulations. The operating
rooms are built to the standards of an ambulatory surgical center,
which require a larger rooms and more electrical outlets that are
needed for abortions. There's a lot of
Empty space.
In this room. Why is that You don't need much to do abortion, carrots.
It's a pretty simple procedure. But because of the SEC regulations
that we have to comply with its a much larger room than we really
need. Consultation room clinics must display large print posters
that provide information designed to discourage abortions.
We have a 24 hour waiting period in this state. We have dual parental
consent laws here. There are laws in place that haven't changed since
the Supreme Court decision here in 2019 Ashley, all with Kansans
for constitutional freedom, says their goal is limited. If the amendment
fails, people will be basically in the same situation there and right
now, I mean, we have
Access to abortion care, but we also have
Restrictions and reasonable regulations. Do you anticipate there
being plans to pass additional legislation to expand abortion rights
in the state? No.
This is about protecting the access. We have. This particular debate
in Kansas might be over by Wednesday morning, but the fight over
the future of abortion rights is just heating up in the Heartland
and well beyond for the PBS news hour. I'm Ali Rogan in Kansas City,
Kansas.
One of the other places where the battle over reproductive rights
is taking shape is Michigan Earlier today in appellate court ruled
that prosecutors can enforce that states 1931 abortion ban that could