Supporters of Amendment 3 say the fight to restore abortion access in Missouri is far from over.

Voters Tuesday approved the ballot initiative which places the right to abortion in the Missouri Constitution. Planned Parenthood officials then sued to overturn Missouri’s abortion ban and other laws they say impose unnecessary burdens on patients and providers.

At a rally in St. Louis on Thursday, supporters of Amendment 3 said they expected legal challenges from lawmakers opposed to abortion.

“We will have lawsuits and legislative battles and countless opportunities to act,” Mallory Schwarz, executive director of Abortion Action Missouri, told the crowd of about 100 people gathered at Planned’s Central West End clinic. Parenthood. “The only way we can continue to be successful in these efforts is if the people who showed up over the last year continue to show up and bring their neighbors with them as well. »

Planned Parenthood is asking a judge to overturn the state’s near-total ban on abortion. An injunction would allow the provider to again offer abortions in the state starting early next month.

Sophie Proe

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St. Louis Public Radio

Sophie Proe

/

St. Louis Public Radio

Amendment 3 allows abortion up to fetal viability, or until approximately 24 weeks of pregnancy.

Opponents of abortion in the Missouri Legislature have said they will continue to fight to restrict the procedure.

“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,” says senator Mary Elizabeth Coleman R-Arnold, said in a statement after the adoption of the amendment. “I will do everything in my power to ensure the vote takes place.”

Ashley Jaworski, an abortion rights activist who attended the rally, said she knew collecting signatures wouldn’t be the end.

“I anticipate there will be many legal battles over the next few months,” she said. “We’re going to do phone banking. We’re going to send emails to people. We will meet and strategize.

Amendment 3 confronted multiple challenges activists and elected officials, including Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey, before appearing on this week’s ballot.

Rally chair Sam Hawickhorst said supporters of Amendment 3 will need to stay committed to restoring abortion access in the state. Instead of knocking on doors and doing phone banking, volunteers may have to travel to Jefferson City.

“There may be more committee hearings where we need people to show up. There could be public hearings where like-minded people like us come forward, sit down and make their voices heard,” she said. “It’s very empowering to share your story and look into the eyes of a dead legislator who wants to legislate against your very existence.”

Attendee Nancy O’Brien said the Legislature has been slow in the past to pass more progressive ballot measures, such as when voters Expanding Medicaid approved to more people in 2020.

“They need to rescind this ban, so we think we’ll probably have to go to Jefferson City and talk to our representatives when they return to office,” she said. “Do everything we can, and it will be a legal fight.”

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