Voters set to decide in Missouri whether to revive state’s abortion ban

Missouri’s near-complete abortion ban could potentially make a comeback if a new ballot measure approved by the state legislature is given the green light by voters. The GOP-controlled Missouri Senate recently passed a proposed constitutional amendment that would repeal a previous constitutional amendment passed by voters last year, which had solidified abortion protections in the state’s constitution. Despite efforts by Democrats to filibuster the move, Republicans utilized procedural tactics to bypass opposition.

The proposed amendment, which was also passed in Missouri’s GOP-controlled House the previous month, is slated to appear on the state’s ballots during the 2026 general election. However, there is a possibility that the amendment could be voted on sooner if Missouri’s Republican governor opts to call a special election on the matter.

“Senate Republicans are overturning the will of the voters and pushing to bring an Abortion Ban back to Missouri. This new ballot item will ban abortion and take away a right that voters secured just six months ago,” the Missouri Senate Democrats expressed in a statement.

Following the 2022 decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade, several Republican-led states implemented trigger laws that automatically enforced stricter abortion regulations at the state level. Missouri was among the first states to enact a post-Roe abortion ban through its trigger law, which rendered all abortions illegal in the state except when the mother’s life was at risk.

In 2024, a citizen-initiated constitutional amendment known as Amendment 3 was passed to embed abortion protections into Missouri’s constitution, effectively repealing the trigger law. However, the ballot measure barely passed by a narrow margin. Missouri Republicans had attempted to include language in the ballot amendment explicitly stating its intention to repeal Amendment 3, but the proposal was unsuccessful.

If the latest ballot measure put forth by Republican legislators secures approval, it would feature exceptions for cases of rape and incest. The ongoing debate surrounding abortion rights in Missouri underscores the complex and contentious nature of reproductive health legislation in the state, with significant implications for women’s access to reproductive healthcare services.