In response to the Kansas primary vote to preserve abortion access, Schusterman Family Philanthropies issued the following statement:  

On Tuesday, voters in Kansas overwhelmingly affirmed their belief in freedom and the liberty to control our bodies when they voted to keep the right to an abortion in their state constitution. In so doing, they ensured that Kansas will remain a critical point of access to abortion in the Midwest and Plains states.  

The ballot measure marked the first major vote since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade, and the outcome reflects the will of the people both in Kansas and across the country. A broad majority of Americans believe in reproductive rights and the freedom to decide if, when and how to have a family.   

This result is a product of months of tireless work and an impressive mobilization of a broad and diverse coalition of Kansans, led by Kansans for Constitutional Freedom, which is anchored by Planned Parenthood Great Plains, Trust Women, URGE: Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity, Kansas and ACLU of Kansas. We are proud to support their work, alongside the work of grantees across our Gender and Reproductive Equity portfolio who are working to protect and advance access to legal abortion every single day. 

As we celebrate the outcome of this vote in Kansas, the work must continue to ensure that every person has full access to reproductive care—including the right to an abortion— which is essential to achieving justice, equality and freedom for all of us. Our democracy will only be fully realized when all people can make decisions about their bodies, lives and futures regardless of where they live.  

We remain committed to working with our grantees and other funders to fight for reproductive rights and reproductive justice.