A coalition of left-wing groups officially launched an effort on Thursday to enshrine the right to kill the unborn in the Missouri Constitution.
Missourians for Constitutional Freedom — which includes the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Missouri, Planned Parenthood Great Plains, and Abortion Action Missouri — has begun to collect signatures throughout the state after it selected one proposed amendment out of 11 possible options, NBC News reported.
The proposed amendment contains vague language similar to that of the Ohio abortion amendment that passed in November 2023. For example, the amendment uses the word “person” rather than “woman” and makes no age distinction. The amendment also uses the umbrella term “reproductive freedom” as well as “including but not limited to.”
We’re putting abortion rights on the ballot! Together, we're working to restore freedom for ALL Missourians to make their own health care decisions. Today, we're launching the campaign to end Missouri’s abortion ban. #EndTheBanMO. Join the fight: https://t.co/1PoIPxOYey pic.twitter.com/mTRCFBa9Pc
— Missourians for Constitutional Freedom (@Missourians4CF) January 18, 2024
The proposed amendment would ultimately allow abortion up until viability, which is around 24 weeks of pregnancy. After that point, lawmakers could regulate abortion, but final judgment calls would be left to physicians, meaning abortions could be performed throughout pregnancy.
The ballot measure language reads:
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 health care, including but not limited to prenatal care, childbirth, postpartum care, birth control, abortion care, miscarriage care, and respectful birthing conditions.
The right to reproductive freedom shall not be denied, interfered with, delayed, or otherwise restricted unless the Government demonstrates that such action is justified by a compelling governmental interest achieved by the least restrictive means. Any denial, interference, delay, or restriction of the right to reproductive freedom shall be presumed invalid. For purposes of this Section, a governmental interest is compelling only if it is for the limited purpose and has the limited effect of improving or maintaining the health of a person seeking care, is consistent with widely accepted clinical standards of practice and evidence-based medicine, and does not infringe on that person’s autonomous decision-making.
Notwithstanding subsection 3 of this Section, the general assembly may enact laws that regulate the provision of abortion after Fetal Viability provided that under no circumstances shall the Government deny, interfere with, delay, or otherwise restrict an abortion that in the good faith judgment of treating health care professional is needed to protect the life or physical or mental health of the pregnant person.
The language also states, “No person shall be penalized, prosecuted, or otherwise subjected to adverse action based on their actual, potential, perceived, or alleged pregnancy outcomes, including but not limited to miscarriage, stillbirth, or abortion.”
“Nor shall any person assisting a person in exercising their right to reproductive freedom with that person’s consent be penalized, prosecuted, or otherwise subjected to adverse action for doing so,” the language states. “The Government shall not discriminate against persons providing or obtaining reproductive health care or assisting another person in doing so.”
If the amendment passes, it would undo the state’s law banning abortions except in medical emergencies or to save a pregnant woman’s life.
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Matt Perdie / Breitbart News“Passing this amendment will end our state’s abortion ban and make sure Missourians and their families can once again make the decisions that are best for them,” Tori Schafer, the deputy director for policy and campaigns at the ACLU of Missouri, said in an interview. “We believe that decisions around pregnancy, including abortion, birth control, and miscarriage care, are personal and private. And that they should be left up to patients and their families.”
The coalition must collect and submit roughly 172,000 valid signatures by May 5 to qualify for ballot placement in 2024.
According to the report:
If the effort is successful, it would then be up to Gov. Mike Parson, a Republican, to decide which ballot to place the measure on. Parson could choose to place the proposed amendment, for example, on the ballot for Aug. 6, the date of the state’s primary elections for many offices (excluding the presidential primaries), or on the Nov. 5 general election ballot.
Missouri is one of several states that may have an abortion amendment on the ballot in 2024, with pro-abortion activists looking to enshrine the right to kill the unborn in state constitutions since the collapse of Roe v. Wade in 2022.
Katherine Hamilton is a political reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on X @thekat_hamilton.
