Missouri Supreme Court Upholds Abortion Ballot Measure

The Missouri Supreme Court rejected an attempt to remove a question from the November ballot that asks voters if they want to establish a right to abortion in the state constitution. The ruling came less than three hours before the deadline to print ballots for absentee voters. Rachel Sweet, the campaign manager for Missourians for Constitutional Freedom, called the decision “a victory for both direct democracy and reproductive freedom in Missouri.” She said the fight was about defending the initiative petition process and letting Missourians shape their future directly.

Four anti-abortion advocates who tried to strike the measure said the court “turned a blind eye” to their arguments. They claimed abortion-rights groups did not follow proper procedures when circulating petitions for the amendment. State Senator Mary Elizabeth Coleman and State Representative Hannah Kelly, both Republicans, signed a statement saying the fight continues against forces “who have no regard for innocent life.”

The secretary of state certified the measure in August.

It seeks to establish protections for abortion similar to those under Roe v. Wade, which the U.S. Supreme Court overturned in 2022. The Nebraska Supreme Court ruled that the state’s planned questions on abortion rights can stay on the ballot for November.

Ten states total will vote on abortion-related measures in the upcoming election, including some where the procedure is currently banned. Nebraska voters will decide whether to amend the state constitution to include a “fundamental right to abortion.” The measure would prohibit banning abortion before fetal viability (around 24 weeks) and allow abortions after that to protect the life or health of the pregnant person. It also includes provisions against denying insurance coverage for abortion.

Another competing measure in Nebraska aims to make the current 12-week abortion ban permanent. Several other states have various abortion-related measures on their November ballots:

– Florida voters will decide on legalizing abortion until fetal viability or when medically necessary. – South Dakota has a measure to expand lawful abortions without restrictions in the first trimester.

– Arizona is proposing banning abortions after 15 weeks, challenging stricter existing measures. – Colorado, Maryland, Nevada, and New York aim to enshrine abortion protections in their state constitutions. – Montana has an upcoming measure to explicitly allow the procedure, making restrictive laws harder to pass.

These measures face opposition from GOP politicians and anti-abortion advocates in various states.

Missouri abortion ballot initiative ruling

Legal battles have emerged over technicalities related to the application processes, signature validity, and measure wording.

Public opinion surveys indicate strong overall support for some level of legal abortion. The upcoming election will be pivotal for abortion rights across multiple states, with significant implications depending on voter turnout and decision outcomes. Missouri’s campaign to legalize abortion has more than doubled its fundraising totals since being approved for the ballot in mid-August.

Missourians for Constitutional Freedom has raised over $16 million since January, with $9 million coming in donations greater than $5,000 since the measure was certified on August 13. The largest donations have come from four out-of-state progressive nonprofits that are not required to disclose their donors. The Sixteen Thirty Fund based in Washington D.C. has donated $4.5 million.

The Fairness Project, also based in D.C., has donated $2.9 million. The campaign also received $1 million from a nonprofit linked to George Soros and $750,000 from a Virginia-based nonprofit called Global Impact Social Welfare. Successful statewide ballot initiative campaigns are often multi-million dollar endeavors.

Kelly Hall of The Fairness Project said putting the issue on the ballot is the “best return on investment” compared to trying to flip the Missouri legislature and governor’s seat. She said any assumption that they simply parachute money into states is false and that grassroots support is essential. The fact that the nonprofits helping bankroll the campaign don’t disclose their donors has become a point of attack from anti-abortion activists and lawmakers in Missouri.

They blame “out-of-state liberal groups” and “dark money” for boosting the abortion-rights campaign’s finances. However, the campaign has also raised several million dollars so far from Missouri individuals and organizations. Planned Parenthood affiliates in the state have donated over $1.1 million and the ACLU of Missouri has given more than $620,000.

The campaign stresses that the largest donor base remains Missourians affected by the abortion ban. If Amendment 3 passes in November, Missouri could become the first state to overturn an abortion ban by a vote of the people. It would legalize abortion up until fetal viability and protect access to other reproductive health care like birth control.