Missouri Republicans seek to restore abortion ban via ballot initiative

Republican leaders in Missouri are attempting to restore the state’s near-total abortion ban through a new ballot initiative for the November election. This proposed Amendment 3 seeks to reinstate the ban with limited exceptions while also constitutionally prohibiting gender transition care for minors. This follows a previous attempt two years ago to defeat a reproductive rights amendment by falsely claiming it would permit gender transition surgeries for minors.

Despite holding a supermajority in the legislature and controlling all statewide offices, the Missouri GOP has faced recent electoral setbacks via the state’s initiative petition process. Voters have used this process to enact policies opposed by Republican leadership, including the expansion of Medicaid, the legalization of marijuana, a minimum wage increase, and the restoration of abortion rights.

Recent election results showed significant rejection of GOP-backed measures, with over 80% of voters opposing an attempt to restrict the ability to amend the state constitution, and over 83% rejecting Governor Mike Kehoe’s plan to phase out the state income tax.