News Tribune: Missourians gear up for renewed fight over abortion restrictions

By Jack Wardynski

The back-and-forth on Missouri abortion law continues this fall with another general election ballot measure.

Amendment 3, placed on the ballot by state lawmakers, aims to repeal the provisions approved in 2024 by the Right to Reproductive Freedom Initiative (RRFI), originally a citizen-initiated petition.

The constitutional amendment would ban abortions except for cases of medical emergency or fetal anomaly, and for cases of rape or incest during the first trimester. It would also prohibit gender transition surgeries and certain puberty-blocking drugs for minors.

With votes on Amendments 4 and 5 now in the rear-view mirror, concerned parties both within and outside of Missouri will now turn their full attention to the abortion ballot measure. Millions of dollars have poured in already to oppose or support Amendment 3, with many more donations expected before the Nov. 3 general election.

Stay out of their reproductive health care decisions

RRFI, the original Amendment 3 in 2024, passed narrowly with 1,538,659 votes, 51.6 percent of the total.

Missourians pushed RRFI onto the ballot with about 380,000 signatures in response to the U.S. Supreme Court's overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022. Its decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization ruled there is no constitutional right to an abortion, and Missouri quickly followed suit by passing a near-total ban in June 2022.

"Missourians around the state were having to travel for care. For some periods of time, there was limited access in Kansas City, Columbia, St. Louis, but for so many people, the care there was not within reach," said Emily Wales, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Plains.

The ballot measure passing stood in contrast to most other statewide results in the 2024 election. Missourians elected Republicans nearly across the board, with six out of eight congressional seats going to Republicans, Mike Kehoe being elected as governor and Donald Trump winning the state by 18 percentage points. Yet, they also approved a pro-choice measure that clashed with a largely pro-life government.

"I think it was loud and clear from Missourians that they wanted politicians to stay out of their reproductive health care decisions," Wales said.

"It felt like we were forced to navigate a black market"

The 2½ years between Dobbs and RRFI posed many challenges for women in Missouri seeking abortions.

Erika, an abortion patient who asked to keep her last name anonymous, spoke to the News Tribune about her experience in 2023.

Erika was around 21 weeks pregnant with the second child for her and her husband when doctors detected a severe fetal anomaly through an ultrasound. Medical professionals told the couple that if the fetus made it through the pregnancy, it would be highly stunted and would not survive long out of the womb.

This harsh reality, on top of the bleeding and pelvic pain Erika was experiencing, convinced the couple that the pregnancy needed to be terminated. However, Missouri's recent ban made it impossible for an in-state abortion, forcing them to pursue treatment over the border.

"It felt like we were forced to navigate a black market," Erika said.

They eventually confirmed the procedure could be done in Washington, D.C., but they were advised not to use insurance in order to avoid a paper trail. Erika had an out-of-state procedure to stop the fetus' heart, then returned home for the delivery soon after.

The couple opted to have the delivery on the Kansas side of the Kansas City metro area, where Erika and the doctors were less at risk of legal repercussions. They had the remains cremated.

Erika said she let out an "uncontrollable wail" after she lost what would have been her second child, Easton.

"My future was not what I thought it was gonna be," she said. "I didn't feel safe. ... (It was) the worst time of my life."

They have since had another child.

"This couldn't happen to anyone else"

After receiving her abortion, Erika felt compelled to advocate for broader access to the procedure in Missouri. She reached out to thousands of people via phone calls and door-to-door campaigns to push for RRFI.

Seeing the ballot measure pass in 2024 brought her a heavy feeling of validation.

"It brought tears to my eyes," Erika said. "This couldn't happen to anyone else."

Others in the state, however, were not as keen to see the pro-choice amendment succeed on the ballot. State lawmakers quickly mobilized and have now placed Amendment 3 on the ballot just two years later.

The largest committee working in support of the RRFI repeal is the Her Health, Her Future PAC, spearheaded by first lady Claudia Kehoe.

"The Her Health, Her Future PAC was launched with one clear and unwavering mission: to defend the dignity of human life and ensure Missourians have the knowledge and necessary tools to stand boldly for the unborn," a quote from Kehoe states on the PAC's website. "Amendment 3 is a critical step toward strengthening our pro-life protections and safeguarding our state's future."

So far, those opposed to the amendment have the edge in campaign funding. Her Health, Her Future reported $797,801 on hand at the end of June, while Stop the Ban, the most prominent anti-Amendment 3 committee, reported more than $3.6 million.

One storyline to watch leading up to November is how much money for the campaign comes from out-of-state sources. Her Health, Her Future has accused its opposition of being fueled by outside interest, particularly in the wake of a large donation by Michael Bloomberg.

"Why is a billionaire ex-NYC mayor sending $1.25 million to Missouri to stop the ban on transgender procedures for minors? It's not for the betterment of Missouri families or the safety of our children," the PAC wrote in an Aug. 6 Facebook post.

Wales dismissed the idea that Stop the Ban is propped up by individuals beyond Missouri, noting that the committee has received donations from more than 50 counties in the state.

"We welcome the support from anyone who wants to join the fight for Missourians' access to health care," she said. "This is not a situation where outside influences are coming to Missouri. Inside influences, the legislature, put this on the ballot in an attempt to take away Missouri's freedoms."

Stop the Ban expects Missourians to show up in even greater numbers than in 2024 to vote on abortion regulations.

Read more: https://www.newstribune.com/news/2026/aug/16/missourians-gear-up-for-renewed-fight-over/