Polls indicate that a proposed constitutional amendment regarding abortion could pass by a narrow margin in Missouri this November. A survey conducted by Saint Louis University and YouGov from August 8 to 16 found that 52% of likely Missouri voters support the amendment, while 34% do not support it and 14% are unsure. Currently, abortion is outlawed in Missouri except for medical emergencies or to save a woman’s life.
The proposed constitutional amendment, also known as Amendment 3, would reverse the state’s abortion restrictions and require 50.1% support to pass. According to The Kansas City Star, this amendment has gained more support over the summer. In March, polling revealed that only 44% of Missourians supported the amendment, raising questions about whether it could receive enough votes to pass.
The abortion measure would enshrine the right to an abortion throughout pregnancy into the state constitution. Missourians for Constitutional Freedom, a left-wing group behind the proposed amendment, includes organizations such as Abortion Action Missouri, the ACLU of Missouri, and the state’s Planned Parenthood affiliates.
The proposed amendment would permit abortions until fetal viability, which is generally considered to be around 24 weeks of pregnancy. Furthermore, it allows for abortions after this point if a healthcare professional deems it necessary to protect the life or physical or mental health of the pregnant person.
The measure also states.
The Government shall not deny or infringe upon a person’s fundamental right to reproductive freedom, which is the right to make and carry out decision about all matters relating to reproductive health care, including but not limited to prenatal care, childbirth, postpartum care, birth control, abortion care, miscarriage care, and respectful birthing conditions.
The right to reproductive freedom shall not be denied, interfered with, delayed, or otherwise restricted unless the Government demonstrates that such action is justified by a compelling governmental interest achieved by the least restrictive means. Any detail, interference, delay, or restriction of the right to reproductive freedom shall be presumed invalid.
Additionally, the measure states that no person “shall be penalized, prosecuted, or otherwise subjected to adverse action based on their actual, potential, perceived, or alleged pregnancy outcomes, including but not limited to miscarriage, stillbirth, or abortion.” Furthermore, it declares that no person assisting someone in exercising their right to reproductive freedom with that person’s consent should be penalized, prosecuted, or otherwise subjected to adverse action for doing so.
Leading pro-life organization SBA Pro-Life America has criticized the proposed amendment, stating that it would “end thousands of lives.” Midwestern Regional Director for SBA Pro-Life America Sue Liebel claims that unborn children who have heartbeats and are capable of feeling pain will no longer be protected in Missouri if this measure passes. She also stated that Missouri would become as radical as California in allowing late-term abortions and forcing taxpayers to fund them.
Missouri is one of several states where pro-abortion activists are attempting to codify the right to terminate pregnancies. Voters in Montana, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Maryland, Nevada, New York, Nebraska, and South Dakota will have the opportunity to vote on abortion measures this year. Similar measures are underway in several other states.