Missourians have spoken out: The government should not be involved in decisions about reproductive health care.

On Tuesday evening, the Associated Press projected adoption of amendment 3an amendment which would enshrine abortion rights protections in the state constitution.

Missouri’s abortion ban was put in place after the United States Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade on June 24, 2022. A few minutes after the publication of the Supreme Court decision, Eric Schmitt, then attorney general, issued an opinion that activated a “trigger law,” which banned legal abortion in all situations except medical emergencies.

Although the main issue addressed by the amendment is abortion, Republican politicians, including Governor Mike Parson and U.S. Senator Josh Hawley, have argued that Amendment 3 would also allow minors to undergo transition surgeries. gender without the consent of their parents. Legal experts interviewed by the Missouri Independent refuted these claims, saying it was exaggerated.

The amendment established a constitutional right to abortion in Missouri. According to the Missouri Secretary of State, the amendment will take effect in 30 days, on December 5, 2024.

In a concession speech Tuesday evening, state Rep. Crystal Quade, the Democratic candidate for Missouri governor, noted early returns showing support for Amendment 3.

“We know Amendment 3 is going to pass,” she said to applause. “We are going to show the extremists in Jefferson City that they have gone too far.”

Missouri is the first state in the country to end the total ban on abortion by voting, according to Missourians for Constitutional Rights.

“The Show-Me State has proven to the country that reproductive decisions belong to the people, not politicians. People from diverse backgrounds have joined our core coalition with the common goal of uniting to protect the fundamental right to reproductive freedom in our state,” said Tori Schafer, director of policy and campaigns for the ACLU of Missouri, in a press release, “Together, we resisted the oppressive tactics of out-of-touch politicians, overcame time-running attempts that left us facing near-impossible deadlines, and won again and again. courts to ensure Missourians can vote on Amendment 3 at the ballot box. Today’s victory is a victory for all Missourians and a critical step on the path to restoring meaningful access to abortion care.

Approval of the amendment establishes the constitutional right to make decisions regarding reproductive health care, including abortion and contraceptives, without government interference; removes abortion ban in Missouri; permits the regulation of reproductive health care to improve or maintain patient health; requires the government not to discriminate, in government programs, funding, or other activities, against persons providing or obtaining reproductive health care; and allows abortion after fetal viability to be restricted or prohibited, except to protect the life or health of the woman.

Viability, as defined by Missouri law, is “that stage of fetal development where the life of the unborn child can continue indefinitely outside the uterus by natural or artificial life support systems.”

According to a fact sheet from the American College of Obstetrics and GynecologyFetal viability depends on a number of complex factors and weeks of gestation alone cannot definitively determine viability. In one study, ACOG found that survival rates range from 23% to 27% for births at 23 weeks, 42% to 59% for births at 24 weeks, and 67% to 76% for births at 25 weeks of gestation. It also notes that deliveries before 23 weeks have a survival rate of 5 to 6% and that significant morbidity is universal (98 to 100%) among survivors.

US Congressman Mark Alford is among those opposing the amendment.

“The passage of Amendment 3 is a heartbreaking loss for many of us who cherish and value human life. The shamefully deceptive practices used by out-of-state progressive Democrats to advance this measure are outrageous and unacceptable,” Alford said in an emailed statement. “This will make Missouri more like New York and to California, allowing abortions at any time during pregnancy. and termination of parental rights. By passing this dangerous amendment, we have denied unborn children their most fundamental right: to experience life. »

The road ahead may still be strewn with pitfalls

However, this is only because the people vote for a constitutional amendment this does not mean that it will be implemented. This is a long-standing political tradition in Missouri, dating back at least to 1940.

When a nonpartisan judicial bill was put on the ballot through the initiative petition process and voters approved it in November 1940, the Legislature passed a resolution 60 days later to repeal the amendment, according to the Missouri Judiciary. (This effort backfired, however: Missouri voted more strongly in favor of the nonpartisan plan in 1942 than when it was initially adopted in 1940.)

The most recent example was in 2020, when Missourians voted to expand Medicaid coverage. Although the ballot measure passed, lawmakers refused to fund it until The Missouri Supreme Court ruled that it was necessary.

Missouri Senator Mary Elizabeth Coleman, who was part of the lawsuit filed by the Thomas More Society, said on social media that this was not the end of the road.

“This won’t be the last time Missourians vote on so-called “reproductive rights,” which have been co-opted by the left to include gender transition surgeries for children without parental consent, and I will do everything what is in my power to ensure that the vote takes place”, Coleman said on X, formerly Twitter.

This article was originally published on Springfield News-Leader: Missouri voters end abortion ban. Here’s what people are saying