27-05-2025
Missouri voters will again vote on abortion
TOP LINE
In 2024, Missouri voters approved a ballot measure to enshrine abortion rights into the state's constitution by three percentage points, being one of seven states to do so that year following the overturn of Roe v. Wade in 2022.
Now, the state is set to vote on the issue again, after Republican lawmakers put an abortion ban referendum that includes exceptions for rape and incest up for a vote. The lawmakers' measure would in effect repeal Amendment 3, the current state constitutional amendment which protects the right to an abortion in the state.
Voters are likely to see the issue on the 2026 general election ballot, but Missouri's Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe could call a special election sooner. Kehoe's office did not respond to a request for comment.
Abortion rights groups cast the lawmaker-driven measure as an attack on the democratic process, while anti-abortion groups commend Republicans for giving voters another chance to decide the issue.
'Over 1.5 million Missourians voted to enshrine access to abortion in the Missouri State Constitution, and politicians are trying to change the rules of the game midstream to try to stop all that from happening,' said Rianne Hawkins, vice president of external affairs for Planned Parenthood Great Rivers Action.
Anti-abortion groups are calling on Missouri Republicans to be more vocal in advocating for the measure after abortion rights advocates vastly outspent their anti-abortion counterparts last year.
'We call on Missouri GOP leaders in Washington and across the state to offer their strong, vocal support of this measure. When GOP leaders engage, we win on abortion ballot measures,' said Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, in a statement.
Missouri's referendum will be the first where voters will have the choice to repeal a post-Dobbs abortion-rights measure that has already passed. And this isn't the first time the Missouri legislature has sought to undo policies that were created via ballot measure.
Lawmakers are also seeking to limit the effect of a ballot measure that increased minimum wage and mandated paid sick leave, and in past years they tried to block voter-approved Medicaid expansions.
The measure will not specifically mention repealing Amendment 3. Instead, it will ask voters if they want to 'ensure women's safety during abortions', 'ensure parental consent for minors' and 'allow abortions for medical emergencies, fetal anomalies, rape, and incest.' The measure also asks if voters want to 'protect children from gender transition,' because it would prohibit gender transition surgeries and hormone treatments for minors, which is already illegal in the state.
For now, abortion remains legal in the state, although actually getting one has proven challenging due to providers in the state being tied up with court battles.
Happy Tuesday, I hope everyone enjoyed the long weekend. Reach me: @andrewjfhoward or ahoward@
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