Abortion-rights amendment passes in Missouri
Missouri voters on Tuesday approved a measure that enshrines abortion rights in the state constitution and replaces a near-total ban on the procedure.
The measure, Amendment 3, guarantees a person's right to get an abortion and make other reproductive health decisions.
It opens the door to legal challenges of a ban on most abortions that took effect immediately after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022.
The measure made the ballot after an intense legal fight led by anti-abortion advocates who sought to prevent a vote.
With more than 70% of precincts reporting, the measure held a commanding lead, with 53% of votes in support.
Supporters of the Missourians for Constitutional Freedom campaign, who pushed for Amendment 3's passage, gathered in downtown St. Louis Tuesday night and celebrated as the measure headed for victory.
"We are the Show-Me State, and we showed tonight what Missourians are capable of," Mallory Schwarz, executive director of Abortion Access MO, told a cheering crowd. "We will stop at nothing to ensure that our values are protected and represented in our home."
The constitutional amendment will take effect Dec. 6. After that, litigation is expected to overturn Missouri abortion restrictions, including the current ban that doesn't allow for the procedure in cases of rape and incest.
Amendment 3 will allow abortions until after the point of fetal viability, or about 24 weeks of pregnancy. Abortions after fetal viability will be allowed if the life or health of the mother is at risk.
Missouri was among 10 states Tuesday to weigh in on abortion rights, though five of those states already allow abortions at least up to the point of fetal viability or 24 weeks of pregnancy.
Supporters of Missouri's Amendment 3 argued that politicians shouldn't make health care decisions for patients. They said the state's current ban went too far and that doctors feared treating pregnant women experiencing medical emergencies.
But opponents of the measure cast it as too extreme for Missouri, saying Amendment 3 would undo the state's parental consent law for minors seeking abortions. Critics also opposed wording allowing for abortions in certain cases after the point of fetal viability.
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