DESOTO COUNTY, MS (abc24.com) - A big fight over abortion is going on in Mississippi and this time voters get their say. In a couple weeks, Mississippians will go to the polls to decide whether or not to overturn Roe v. Wade, making abortion against the law.
If passed, Mississippi would be the first state in the country to outlaw abortions, with no exceptions.
It's being called the personhood amendment and would define every fetus as a person in the state constitution. When people head to the polls November 8, 2011, they'll vote yes or no. Supporters told abc24.com it's a moral issue. Opponents argue it's a personal one.
"I consider this to be a moral issue," said Gail Garamita, who's for Initiative 26. "For me it's not intellectual. It's a matter of life and death for unborn. We are accountable when go to polls. We have opportunity to say what's right in our heart."
"There's always a what if situation," said Yolunshee Dockery, who's against the amendment. "I don't want the government telling me how to be. There's a thin line. I am pro life, but I feel like it's up to the individual. I think a person should have an option. We all are allowed choices in life."
It's a hot button issue that may increase voter turnout in this election. There's one abortion clinic left in Mississippi. It's in Jackson. If initiative 26 passes, it will close. Another aspect of all this is birth control. Initiative 26 would ban drugs like the morning after pill. Anything taken after conception would be illegal.
