A Missouri judge ruled that an abortion rights campaign did not meet legal requirements to qualify for the November ballot, potentially preventing the overturning of the state’s near-total abortion ban. However, the measure was not removed from the ballot, and the campaign has a chance to file a last-minute appeal. The campaign, Missourians for Constitutional Freedom, plans to appeal the decision and hopes for a swift resolution before the deadline. The judge indicated that the signature-gathering process did not adequately inform voters about the impact of the measure.
At least nine other states will consider amendments enshrining abortion rights this fall. Most of these proposals would guarantee a right to abortion until fetal viability and allow it later for the health of the pregnant woman, similar to the Missouri proposal. Voters in states with abortion questions on their ballots since 2022 have tended to support abortion rights.
A group of abortion opponents sued to have the Missouri amendment removed from the ballot, arguing that voters were not fully informed about the laws that could be repealed. The campaign’s lawyers countered that it would be up to future judges to determine which abortion laws would be affected if the amendment is adopted.
If passed, the proposed amendment would guarantee an individual’s right to abortion and other reproductive health decisions in Missouri, where most abortions have been banned since 2022. The campaign to legalize abortion in response to the ban has faced opposition, with anyone performing an abortion outside the state’s exceptions facing felony charges.
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