Missouri’s Supreme Court has ruled that a proposed amendment to protect abortion rights will be included on the ballot this November, allowing voters the opportunity to restore legal abortion access for the first time in over two years.
The constitutional amendment comes after a “trigger” law enacted in 2022 effectively prohibited abortion in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn federal protections. This ruling from Missouri’s highest court reversed a lower court’s decision made just last week, which sought to eliminate the amendment following legal challenges from anti-abortion organizations.
Missouri currently enforces some of the strictest abortion regulations in the United States, with a total ban in place except in certain medical emergencies. The state will join eight others in voting on abortion rights alongside the presidential election in November.
The decision arrived shortly before the deadline to finalize the general election ballot. The court ordered that all necessary steps be taken to ensure that the amendment, known as Amendment 3, appears on the ballot.
Opponents of the amendment, represented by the Thomas More Society, argued that its language could mislead voters regarding the regulator’s authority over abortion laws. They expressed concerns that the average voter would not understand its implications for legislative power.
The proposed amendment seeks to enshrine the right to an abortion in Missouri until fetal viability, following a successful petition drive that gathered over 250,000 signatures, validated by the secretary of state’s office last month.
An earlier ruling by Cole County Circuit Judge Christopher Limbaugh had agreed to remove the amendment, citing that it did not specify which existing laws would be repealed if enacted. However, supporters from Missourians for Constitutional Freedom quickly appealed this decision over the weekend.
According to state law, the amendment requires at least 50% voter approval to pass. A recent poll indicated that public support for the measure currently stands at 52%.
