Missouri Lege's Cool Plan To Ban Abortion: Trick Voters Into Thinking They're Not
One weird trick!
Last November, despite the fact that all but three counties went Republican in the presidential election, the people of Missouri voted in favor of a constitutional amendment establishing a constitutional right to abortion (prior to fetal viability, or ability to survive outside the womb) and eliminating restrictions on abortion in the state. Ever since then, the Republican supermajority in the state Lege has been working hard to undo that.
They came up with a lot of ideas, but the winning one (so far) is a plan for another referendum to repeal that amendment and reinstate most of the state’s very restrictive abortion ban. The state House has approved it, and a state Senate committee passed it 4-2 on Wednesday, making it just one (Republican supermajority) Senate vote away from appearing on the ballot in November of 2026 (or even before if approved by Gov. Mike Kehoe).
Of course, there’s still just one little snag — how to get around the fact that Missouri voters do not want to ban abortion. And they think they’ve figured it out!
You see, they’re just not going to tell voters that they’re voting for an abortion ban at all.
The new amendment will ban abortion, except in cases of medical emergencies and fatal fetal anomalies, and prior to 12 weeks in cases of rape or incest. However, that’s not what voters will see on their ballot. It will look to them like they are voting for an amendment that would guarantee access to abortion in those cases.
Instead, they will be asked if they want to repeal Article I, Section 36 and to allow abortions in those specific situations. This could easily be seen by voters as allowing them without parental consent. This is currently an issue in the state, as just yesterday reproductive rights advocates filed lawsuits to overturn laws restricting abortion rights for those under 18.
The proposed initiative reads:
“Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to:
Guarantee access to care for medical emergencies, ectopic pregnancies, and miscarriages;
Ensure women's safety during abortions;
Ensure parental consent for minors' abortions;
Allow abortions for medical emergencies, fetal anomalies, rape, and incest and repeal Article I, Section 36; and
Protect children from gender transitions?”
Tricky, tricky! As you can see, they also threw in a provision banning trans kids from, well, existing. What does this have to do with abortion? Absolutely nothing, beyond the fact that Republicans believe this is their number one winning issue and tacking it on there may increase their chances of Missourians voting for it.
Of course, they may not be as quite clever as they think, as many voters have already caught on to their scheme. More than 150 people showed up to share their thoughts on the ban, and only six of them were there to speak in favor of it.
The Missouri Independent reports:
State Sen. Patty Lewis, a Kansas City Democrat, noted that after her GOP colleagues again said that Missourians only approved Amendment 3 because they didn’t understand what they were voting on.
“Missouri Right to Life represents hundreds of thousands of people across Missouri,” [Susan Klein, executive director of Missouri Right to Life] said.
“Where are they?” Lewis asked.
Obligatory:
Those speaking in opposition to the amendment included myriad health professionals whose patients’ lives were put in danger by the state’s previous ban, women who have had abortions, and even religious leaders who support their right to have them.
So maybe they won’t get away with it, after all.
PREVIOUSLY ON WONKETTE!
OT:
Henlo, frens.
Today is....
Birb's Hatchday!!
In people time, I am fibty-tew. The big 52.
"It was necessary to use confusing language because last time the people voted wrong."