Residents of the US state of Kansas went to the polls on Tuesday (2) and decided to maintain the right to abortion in the state. More than 60% of voters rejected an amendment to the Constitution that would have allowed lawmakers to pass anti-abortion laws. The state legislature is controlled by the Republican Party.
The polls opened at 7 am (9 am in BrasÃlia) and, at stake, was a sentence handed down by the state Supreme Court three years ago that guaranteed the right to voluntary termination of pregnancy until the 22nd week of pregnancy. Republican politicians presented an amendment to return the regulation of the procedure to the deputies.
This was the first public consultation on the topic since the US Supreme Court suspended the constitutional right to abortion in late June by a 5-4 majority, in a controversial decision that was condemned by Democrats and celebrated by Republicans.
Kansas reproductive rights activists pointed out that the amendment sought to pave the way for an outright ban on the procedure. Ashley All, a spokeswoman for Kansas Residents for Constitutional Freedom, told AFP the move would be a “blow to personal autonomy”.
Tuesday’s decision, in a way, also influences the lives of women in other American states. Because of the proximity, residents of Texas, Oklahoma and Missouri go to abortion clinics in Kansas. All three states have laws that make abortion procedures difficult or prohibitive.
Before the results, there were complaints about the way of voting, with notes that the ballot was prepared in a confusing way. Those who wanted to support the amendment that would reduce reproductive rights should vote “yes”. Those who were against and defended the right to abortion should indicate “no”.
The American association Valorize os Dois, which supports the amendment, has received more than US$4.7 million (R$ 24 million) this year, with donations from local dioceses accounting for the share of at least US$3 million, according to reports released in July and seen by the Reuters agency.
Other states, such as California and Kentucky, will vote later this year on similar issues, in elections scheduled for November, near the midterms.
Despite Tuesday’s result, Kansas has historically acted as a stronghold for movements against reproductive rights. In 1991, protesters from across the country gathered in Wichita, the state’s most populous city, and blocked access to clinics that performed the procedure for weeks.
Years earlier, in 1986, a local clinic was attacked with a makeshift bomb. In August 1993, doctor George Tiller, pro-right to terminate a pregnancy, was wounded in both arms in the region. More recently, in 2009, another pro-abortion doctor was shot to death in Wichita.
idaho
The United States sued the state of Idaho on Tuesday to block a state law that imposes a near-absolute ban on abortion – in the first legal challenge to state legislation on the subject since the Supreme Court’s suspension of the constitutional right to abortion. .
The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Idaho, says the state’s abortion ban violates the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, a federal law that mandates federally funded hospitals to provide emergency medical care.
It also asks the court to stop Idaho from criminalizing doctors or depriving them of their medical licenses if they perform an emergency abortion.
“The Department of Justice’s message is clear. If a patient arrives at the ER with a medical emergency that jeopardizes her life or health, the hospital must provide the necessary treatment to stabilize the patient,” said the attorney general. , Merrick Garland.
“This includes abortion, as long as this is the necessary treatment,” he added.
The lawsuit comes just a day before the Idaho Supreme Court hears arguments over the legality of the state law, which is due to take effect on Aug. 25.
