Ahead of the vote on a constitutional amendment about abortion, a thousand people marched in downtown Wichita for abortion rights Saturday.
If approved, the amendment would overturn a 2019 decision by the Kansas Supreme Court saying there is a right to abortion in the state constitution.
Organizers said the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision to overturn Roe v. Wade made the vote on the constitutional amendment even more important.
“Roe being overturned lit a fire under us all and the fact that our own state is trying to strip us of our bodily rights, I think it lit a fire under everyone,” organizer Brandi Calvert said.
Kansas is one of the first states to vote on abortion after the overturning of Roe.
Kansas Senator Mary Ware took part in the protests.
“One of the things I liked best was one of the chants as we walked down the street; ‘My body, my choice,’ ‘their body, their choice.’ There it is, if you don’t want to do it, don’t,” Ware said.
Her husband, Tom James, also participated in the march and said abortion is an issue that doesn’t affect just only women.
“Men need to be involved, it’s our world we’re going to have to live in with all these children that were forced to be born,” James said.
All registered voters are eligible to cast a ballot. The vote will take place Aug. 2 during the primary.
