Abortion remains hotly contested in Kansas heading into the 2024 legislative session

Kansas abortion providers filed a major new lawsuit that will test the constitutionality of several of the state’s longstanding abortion restrictions. An upcoming hearing for that case will help determine how the state is allowed to regulate abortion in the coming years.
WICHITA, Kansas — From an influx of patients to evolving state restrictions, 2023 brought changes to abortion access in Kansas — and more could be on the way in 2024.

After the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, Kansas became a hub for people who can’t access abortions in their home state. In 2023, patients from across the South and Midwest continued to seek abortions at Kansas clinics, making it increasingly difficult for Kansans to access abortions locally.

Abortion rights groups continued to work in 2023 to keep abortion as accessible and affordable as possible in a rapidly evolving policy landscape.

Abortion opponents in the Kansas Legislature worked to restrict reproductive care in new ways, with mixed results. And as lawmakers prepare to head back to Topeka next week for a new legislative session, Republicans have a veto-proof supermajority — but remain constrained by the Kansas Constitution’s firm protections for abortion rights.