After the US Supreme Court ruled in Roe v. Wade ruling that established the right to legal abortion was overturned, it was up to the states to decide on new rules and bans. On Tuesday, people in the state of Kansas decided in a referendum to protect legal abortion: According to the preliminary count, 58.8 percent of voters voted against a massive encroachment on reproductive rights.
Although the result of the referendum is still preliminary and according to the Secretary of State of Kansas If the count continues until tomorrow, the result should be clear: the majority of people in conservative Kansas voted for the Protection of legal abortion pronounced. A happy day for all those who spoke out for reproductive rights, especially for women. Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly has repeatedly argued that Leaving women the choices they should make with themselves, their families and medical staff.
But it’s not just in Kansas that the jubilation about the decision, which could perhaps point the way for further votes in other federal states, is great. President Joe Biden also has Twitter expressed his delight at thisthat women’s right to choice and access to reproductive health care is preserved. An attitude that had already cost him the support of conservative Christians in the election campaign for the presidency. Added to this is the relief of those who, in an emergency, would have to travel to Kansas from states with a ban on abortion, such as Texas.
With 58.8 percent (534,134 votes) there was a clear majority against around 41 percent (374,611 votes) enforced in the referendum. And that despite the question “Should the Kansas constitution be amended to remove protections of abortion rights?” (Should the Kansas constitution be changed to remove protections for abortion rights?) was a little more complicated. In this case, a “Yes” would have meant the cancellation of the protection against abortion. It would certainly have been easier for the voters to ask whether the protection of abortion should be retained in the constitution.
In Kansas, an abortion is still possible without restrictions up to the 20th week after fertilization, after that only for important reasons, such as a danger to the health or life of the pregnant woman. A possibility that has been mentioned again and again in recent years conservative and Christian groups, who also saw their chance in this referendum, was attacked. It is likely that these groups will intensify their efforts ahead of future votes, such as those slated for California in November this year.
Residents of states like New York can count themselves lucky, which had already put the status of legal abortion under protection in 2019.