KSHB 41 reporter Charlie Keegan covers politics on both sides of the state line. If you have a story idea to share, you can send Charlie an email at charlie.keegan@kshb.com.
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Saturday voters in the Kansas City area had the chance to hear from supporters and opponents of a proposal to restore abortion access in Missouri.
Amendment 3 on Missouri ballots asks voters to allow abortions up until fetal viability. Currently, abortions are banned in the state except if the mother’s health is at risk.
Supporters of Amendment 3 organized roughly 50 volunteers to canvass Kansas City neighborhoods, knock on doors, and encourage people to vote.
Among the volunteers were several doctors including Dr. Devika Maulik, who specializes in high-risk pregnancies.
“What this amendment does is it actually puts the decision-making back to physicians and back to families,” she told a voter.
Mark Rodriguez was confused by the ballot language until he spoke with Maulik.
“She clarified a lot of questions I had that nobody could really tell me because all the information you get is really confusing,” Rodriguez admitted.
In Liberty, the group Coalition Life held a forum about Amendment 3. The event was one of several similar events happening around the state to encourage voters to reject the proposal.
At a similar event in Harrisonville this month, the national director of the group Bound4Life called Amendment 3 “extreme.”
Hanna Sims shared the story of her mother putting her up for adoption as an infant instead of choosing abortion.
“She gave me the right to live and that gave me the opportunity to be adopted and come to America and be adopted into a loving family and the right to be here today and I’m just so grateful for that,” Sims said in Harrisonville.
The group pushing for support on Amendment 3 believes the majority of Missourians support increased access to abortion. Its goal is to make sure people vote.
“People, at the end of the day, do not want the government involved in their medical decisions. You can identify as a Republican, Independent, Democrat, you just don’t want the government telling you what do to and you trust doctors to be the guide,” explained Emily Wales, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Plains Votes.
Election Day is Nov. 5, but no-excuse absentee voting is underway now across Missouri.
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