For those who have been at the forefront of the abortion battle in this country, it wasn't really a surprise when Politico published a leaked draft of the Supreme Court's decision in a Mississippi abortion case written by Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr.
As Bonyen Lee-Gilmore, vice president of strategy and communication for Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region, points out, "None of us are surprised, but I do think there is a little bit of shock for a lot of people who say 'this could never happen.'"
Missouri already has a "trigger" law on the books that would come into play should Roe v. Wade be overturned.
Luz María Henríquez, executive director of the ACLU of Missouri says state Attorney General Eric Schmitt has "promised that he would enforce Missouri's trigger ban as soon as Roe is overturned" which he can do by writing a letter. Henríquez says the result "will amount to a total ban on abortion in Missouri."
If Alito's draft becomes the high court's final decision, abortion laws would be left for each state to decide.
In Kansas, that is already underway. In August, voters will be asked to decide on a constitutional amendment saying nothing in the state's constitution guarantees the right to an abortion.
Micah Kubric, executive director of the ACLU of Kansas, says adding a Supreme Court overturn of Roe v. Wade is "making it possible for some politicians in Topeka to pass a total, absolute, unequivocal ban on abortion under every single circumstance. No exceptions."
- Bonyen Lee-Gilmore, vice president of strategy and communication for Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri
- Luz María Henríquez, executive director of the ACLU of Missouri
- Rebecca Tong, co-executive director, Trust Women
- Micah Kubic, executive director, ACLU of Kansas