Last November, 52% of Missouri voters passed Amendment 3 to the state constitution, presenting a beacon of hope for women’s bodily autonomy post-Dobbs. The amendment guaranteed abortion rights up to fetal viability—generally considered around 24 weeks of pregnancy—along with fundamental reproductive freedoms such as birth control, pre- and post-natal care, and “respectful” birthing conditions. However, this significant progress is now facing total reversal.
Employing a rare action known as the “previous question,” Missouri Senate Republicans ended the Democratic filibuster, leading to the successful approval of a referendum to repeal Amendment 3 and send a new measure back to the voters. The motion passed 21-11 and quickly faced protest upon its approval from abortion rights activists. “It’s unbelievable to me that our elected body will completely disregard what the people want,” Democratic Rep. Elizabeth Fuchs, expressed. “We always joke that we don’t have a boss in this building – yes, we do. It is the people.” Fuchs joined protestors outside of the Senate Chamber before they were swiftly cleared out.
Republican lawmakers claim that they are simply giving voters a “second chance” to vote on abortion. “This resolution presents the average Missourian with a choice at the ballot box, one that I believe is much more in keeping with their values,” Republican Rep. Adam Schnelting, who’s leading the replacement proposal, claimed.
To many lawmakers, activists, and voters, this “second chance” is simply a forced ploy to control women’s bodies despite expressed public leanings towards their liberation. “The majority of Missourians want to make their own decisions about health care without interference from prying politicians, and they made this abundantly clear at the ballot box in November,” Margot Riphagen from Planned Parenthood in Great Rivers said.
The Missouri legislature has largely been dominated by anti-abortion lawmakers. This was made clear after the Dobbs decision when the Missouri legislature followed suit with large-scale bans covering most abortions. However, activists gathered quickly and petitioned to reverse these restrictions. Amendment 3 was a critical win in the fight for reproductive freedom, helping Planned Parenthood reinstate procedural abortions, though medication abortions remain on hold.
Now, with the revised measure on the ballot, this progress faces immense undoing. The newly proposed amendment, which will go back to voters in Nov. 2026 (or sooner), only allows abortions for medical emergency or fetal anomaly, and in the cases of rape or incest, still restricts abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy. Additionally, the amendment would prohibit gender transition surgeries, hormone treatments, and puberty blockers for minors.
Along with going against the majority of Missouri voters and their stance towards reproductive rights, this new amendment presents a dishonest vision to second-time voters. Democratic Sen. Tracy McCreery called the measure “an attempt to mislead and lie to voters.” Indeed, the amendment employs euphemistic and vague language, claiming to “ensure women’s safety during abortions, ensure parental consent for minors” and “allow abortions for medical emergencies, fetal anomalies, rape, and incest,” without specifying the actual restrictions it plans to enact.
Despite this cutting reversal of the once hopeful amendment, activists and pro-choice lawmakers have only gotten more fired up and ready to fight as a result. “They might have more votes in the Capitol, in the legislature, but we have more votes at the ballot box,” Mallory Schwarz, executive director of Abortion Action Missouri, asserted. “We proved that before, we’ll prove it again.”
