As Cardinal season got underway last week, a different season was already in full swing: the sprint to collect signatures to get a constitutional amendment protecting abortion rights on the Missouri ballot. If pro-choice activists can collect 171,000 signatures, Missourians will get a chance to vote this fall on whether abortion should be legal up until the point of fetal viability.
Last Thursday, as a sea of red and white streamed into Busch Stadium, we caught up with Dana Sandweiss, who runs the Access MO political action committee. She was at the corner of Walnut and 8th streets with a few other volunteers, collecting more than a few of those signatures from fans walking by. This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
How's the reception been so far?
It's positive. Not as positive as before the soccer games, but more positive than before Blues games. Maybe comparable to the Blues.
Oh, wow. You could do a whole sociology paper on that.
It's so interesting!
Has anyone ever been really unkind?
Not really. When one person was verbally abusive to me, it caused other people to come up and sign. I was like, alright, I'll take it.
Where did that happen?
That was before the Bill Burr concert, who I thought was a progressive.
I know everyone's favorite Secretary of State, Jay Ashcroft, is going to do everything he can to gum up the works. How are things looking in that regard?
I'm very positive that we're going to qualify and get on the ballot.
How many signatures do you think you personally have collected?
Way over 1,000. Maybe 2,000. It's over 1,000 for sure.
What's the most rewarding aspect of this work?
People, for the most part, are so grateful. They've been looking for us. They say, "I've been looking for you. I'm so glad you're here."
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