Jefferson City, MO. – Missouri abortion-rights groups have gathered to support an amendment to the state constitution that would solidify abortion access and are beginning to gather signatures.
The initiative petition is titled “The Right to Reproductive Freedom Initiative” and is supported by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Missouri, Abortion Action Missouri, and local Planned Parenthood affiliates under the banner of Missourians for Constitutional Freedom.
The groups must gather and submit roughly 172,000 valid signatures by May 5 for the amendment to be on the November ballot.
Missouri was the first state to place an abortion ban following the US Supreme Court overturning the Roe v. Wade ruling on June 24, 2022. The state currently bans all abortions except in cases of medical emergency, with the definition of a “medical emergency” vaguely determined by law.
The amendment would enshrine the right to abortions and other reproductive healthcare by stating “The Government shall not deny or infringe upon a person’s fundamental right to reproductive freedom, which is the right to make and carry out decisions about all matters relating to reproductive healthcare, including but not limited to prenatal care, childbirth, postpartum care, birth control, abortion care, miscarriage care, and respectful birthing conditions.”
The initiative petitions concerning abortion rights were tied up in court for months after receiving challenges from Republican Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft and the appointed Republican Attorney General Andrew Bailey. After all challenges to the petitions failed in court, the group was able to start the process of collecting signatures.
This initiative petition will also be competing with a competing Republican ballot measure that would allow abortion up to 12 weeks with some caveats for rape, incest, and medical emergency up to fetal viability, sometime between 22 and 27 weeks. This petition also saw pushback from Secretary of State Ashcroft in courts.
