Kansans share views on post-Roe world two years after Supreme Court reversal

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (KCTV) - On June 24, 2022, the Supreme Court of the United States overturned its 1973 decision on Roe v. Wade.

Missouri immediately banned abortions, while Kansans rejected a ballot amendment that would have granted state lawmakers the authority to regulate abortion access in the state.

Two years after the monumental decision, U.S. Representative Sharice Davids joined leaders from Planned Parenthood Great Plains (PPGP) to share their views on the overturning of Roe v. Wade by the U.S. Supreme Court.

They sat together inside the Planned Parenthood on West 109th Street on Monday morning, taking a deeper dive into the abortion policies impacting Kansans, Missourians, and those living in nearby states who travel to Kansas for assistance.

Some panelists shared the potential for violence they see or have already seen. Others spoke of the day-to-day rhetoric that politicians use when discussing reproductive health in statehouses and Washington D.C. They also talked about how to continue building support for their stance on reproductive health.

“I can’t stand here and pretend that this is not unacceptable,” said Davids. “I can only ask, have we not made our voices clear? Have we not made our intentions and desires as citizens of this country clear?”

Meanwhile, the organization Kansans for Life said state regulation of abortion clinics is far from extreme.

“While the abortion industry pretends that basic state oversight is somehow ‘extreme,’ the so-called ‘Trust Women’ clinic in Wichita is showing signs of a total meltdown, with an internal source admitting it had been operating without medical oversight for at least a month,” KFL communications director Danielle Underwood said. “Is anyone actually watching out for women’s health and safety?”

She referenced the Wichita clinic that has been closed for longer than a month.

PPGP President and CEO Emily Wales said Planned Parenthood locations have seen an increase in people arriving in Kansas for help, saying the state has had patients from Arkansas, Florida, and Texas, among others. She said the influx is affecting their operations, but although wait times have increased, patients are not turned away.

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