Missouri Supreme Court rules that abortion ballot proposal will stand in November election

Missourians are preparing to vote in November on an amendment that could legalize abortion in the state constitution, after the Missouri Supreme Court ruled in favor of placing Amendment 3 on the ballot. The measure, which seeks to protect access to abortion until the viability of the fetus, was backed by pro-abortion groups, despite intense efforts by lawmakers and pro-life activists to block it.

The ruling, issued just hours before the deadline to certify the ballot, reversed a lower court's decision that had ordered the amendment excluded. Despite legal efforts led by pro-life advocates such as state Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman and activist Kathy Forck, who argued that the amendment violated legal requirements, the court ruled that Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft must place the measure on the general election.

A fight for life

Pro-life groups denounced the decision as a devastating blow to the protection of the unborn in Missouri, one of the states with the strictest laws against abortion. Currently, abortion is illegal in almost all circumstances in the state, with limited exceptions for medical emergencies. If Amendment 3 is approved, it would open the door to legalizing abortion up to fetal viability, a direct attack on laws that have protected life from conception.

"This ruling marks the most dangerous threat to Missouri’s pro-life laws in our state’s history. Make no mistake—this amendment, bankrolled by radical out-of-state interest groups, is a direct assault on Missouri families and the values we hold dear," said Mary Catherine Martin, a pro-life attorney.

With only eight weeks until the general election, Mary Catherine Martin, an attorney with the Thomas More Society called on voters to study the text well before making a decision.

"We implore Missourians to research and study the text and effects of Amendment 3 before going to the voting booth," she said.