On November's ballot, Missourians will get to decide whether to enshrine abortion rights into the state constitution, after state officials certified the signatures of an initiative petition this week.
After the U.S. Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision in June 2022, which overturned the protections of Roe v. Wade, Missouri became the first U.S. state to ban abortion in nearly all circumstances. A state trigger law took effect within hours of the decision, shutting down abortion services in the state.
Emily Wales, the CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Plains and its advocacy wing Planned Parenthood Great Plains Votes, says while the campaign around November's ballot measure will be a tough fight, she believes Missourians will ultimately support abortion rights — as many other states, including Kansas, have already done.
"We've seen it done in Kansas, where we were participating as Planned Parenthood Great Plains, but we've also seen it in Kentucky and Michigan, Ohio. We are learning every single time that it's not a partisan issue," Wales told KCUR's Up To Date.
"People are eager to restore their own rights, but we also have to do a lot of work here at home. We are raising more money than we ever have."
- Emily Wales, CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Plains
