Missouri abortion measure will be on ballot, court decides
The Missouri Supreme Court made a crucial decision on Tuesday regarding the restoration of abortion rights in the state. They ruled that an amendment to guarantee the right to abortion will be put on the ballot for voters to decide. This proposed measure aims to protect the right to abortion and prevent any government interference in the procedure. If approved, it would overturn the near-total abortion ban that was implemented in 2022. The court’s ruling came just hours before the deadline for ballot changes for the upcoming November election.
State Supreme Court judges issued an order to Jay Ashcroft, the Republican secretary of state, instructing him to reinstate the measure on the ballot. Despite Ashcroft’s opposition to abortion, the court directed him to take all necessary steps to ensure that the measure is included on the ballot. The full opinion of the court on this case was not immediately disclosed on Tuesday.
The campaign group “Missourians for Constitutional Freedom” praised the court’s decision, emphasizing the importance of reproductive rights. Campaign manager Rachel Sweet stated, “Missourians overwhelmingly support reproductive rights, including access to abortion, birth control, and miscarriage care. Now, they will have the opportunity to secure these protections in the Missouri Constitution on November 5th.”
On the opposing side, a lawyer representing a group of GOP lawmakers and abortion opponents argued that the initiative petition was misleading to voters. The critics claimed that the amendment did not provide a clear list of all the laws pertaining to abortion that would be affected by its passage. This amendment is a part of a broader national trend where states are turning to voters to make decisions on abortion rights following the Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe v. Wade in 2022, which led Missouri to impose severe abortion restrictions right away.
In addition to Missouri, eight other states are considering constitutional amendments to protect abortion rights, including Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Maryland, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, and South Dakota. Most of these amendments aim to guarantee the right to abortion until fetal viability and allow for exceptions later in cases of maternal health, similar to what the Missouri proposal intends to do. Even New York is part of this wave with a ballot measure that supporters claim will safeguard abortion rights, though there is some debate about its actual impact.
The issue of abortion has the potential to significantly impact voter turnout in elections, affecting presidential races, congressional control, and the outcomes of state elections. In Missouri, Democrats are hopeful that the support from abortion-rights advocates will give them an advantage in the November election. Legal battles have arisen nationwide over the inclusion of abortion-related questions on ballots, as well as the wording used in these initiatives and explanatory materials. For instance, Arkansas faced a recent dispute over an abortion rights initiative being left off the November ballot due to incomplete documentation from the group behind the measure.
Historically, voters in states where abortion rights have been on the ballot since Roe was overturned have sided with abortion-rights supporters. This ongoing debate reflects the broader national conversation about reproductive rights and the future of abortion legislation in the United States. The upcoming November election in Missouri will undoubtedly be a crucial moment for the state and its residents to make their voices heard on this divisive and deeply personal issue.
