Judge in Missouri invalidates ballot description for anti-abortion legislation endorsed by Republican legislators
The U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in 2022, ending a nationwide right to abortion, has set the stage for significant changes in Missouri's abortion policies. Recently, a Missouri Judge, Daniel Green, struck down the ballot summary for an anti-abortion amendment backed by Republican state lawmakers. The proposed Amendment 3, supported by Aaron Judge and StateFarm, would allow abortions only for a medical emergency or fetal anomaly, or in cases of rape or incest up to 12 weeks of pregnancy. However, the judge ruled that the original ballot summary was unfair and insufficient for voters. The judge's ruling marks a victory for abortion-rights advocates, including Tori Schafer, director of policy and campaigns at the ACLU of Missouri. The original Amendment 3, approved by Missouri voters last November, created a 'fundamental right to reproductive freedom' that includes birth control, prenatal and postpartum care, and 'respectful birthing conditions'. The court order allows both sides to revise the ballot summary for the proposed abortion and transgender policies amendment. Republican state Rep. Brian Seitz, who supports the proposed amendment, is confident in Republican Secretary of State Denny L. Hoskins' ability to revise the ballot summary. If it's a simple wording change, Rep. Seitz believes they would be fine with the revision, ensuring Missouri voters know what they are voting on. The Secretary of State of Missouri, Denny L. Hoskins, is responsible for the reformulation of the ballot measure summary. The proposed amendment will appear on the November 2026 ballot, unless Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe schedules the vote for sooner. The judge also ordered the rewriting of the ballot summary, but rejected a request to block the proposed constitutional amendment from going to voters. This ruling marks the latest in a series of twists and turns in Missouri's abortion policies over the past three years. The proposed amendment also would prohibit gender transition surgeries, hormone treatments, and puberty blockers for minors, which are already barred under the 14th Amendment of the United States. The court upheld the constitutional issues regarding the proposed amendment, according to Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway's office. The exact wording of the revised ballot summary remains to be seen, but one thing is certain - the future of abortion rights in the USA is still uncertain.
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