Abortion rights advocates in Missouri are launching a ballot initiative to overturn the ban

A coalition of reproductive rights groups in Missouri kicked off a campaign Thursday to enshrine the right to abortion in the state constitution, setting up the next big test of public support for legalized abortion.

Missouri was the first state to officially ban abortion after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade 18 months ago. A successful ballot measure there could make the country the first state where a citizens' initiative reverses a near-total ban.

Abortion rights advocates have prevailed on all seven ballot measures presented to voters since Roe was overturned, and groups in about a dozen other states are trying to pass similar abortion rights measures this year. In Missouri, however, they face a tight schedule, fierce opposition from Republicans who control the state government, and a long tradition of anti-abortion politics.

The proposed ballot measure had been in limbo for months as abortion rights groups fought in court against government officials who tried to block it, and as the groups fought among themselves over what kind of measure, if any, to put before voters ask for approval. .

Some of them argued that Missouri voters are more conservative than those in states where abortion rights have already passed. They pushed for a ballot amendment that would legalize abortion only in the early stages of pregnancy, something polls show an overwhelming majority of Americans support.

Leaders of Planned Parenthood and some other groups said they would not support anything other than allowing women full autonomy to make abortion decisions, without pregnancy restrictions.

Interest groups had submitted several proposals, trying to bet on what voters would support — the coalition itself came up with nearly a dozen versions. These proposals differed mainly in the possible pregnancy limit they would include in the proposed change. Other groups advocated waiting until the next election cycle to come up with an initiative, saying they needed time to raise money and win over public opinion.

However, on Thursday the coalition presented a united front, saying it did not have time to wait. She said the state ban put women with pregnancy complications at risk and forced obstetrics and maternity practices to leave Missouri.

The ballot measure proposed Thursday is similar to those passed in Ohio and Michigan. It would amend the state constitution to establish a “right to make and enforce decisions” about reproductive health care, including abortion. But it would allow the state to restrict abortion after a fetus has become viable, or about 24 weeks, unless the treating medical professional determines “in good faith” that the procedure is necessary to protect the life or mental or physical health of the protect pregnant woman.

Supporters must collect about 172,000 signatures by early May for the proposal to qualify for a vote. It would then be up to Gov. Mike Parson, a Republican who opposes abortion rights, to decide when the measure will go before voters — during this summer's primaries or in the general election in November.

“We wouldn't be making progress if we didn't think we could be successful in both elections,” said Tori Schafer, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union, one of the groups in the coalition.

Anti-abortion groups announced their own campaign Wednesday to oppose any ballot measure that legalizes abortion. On Thursday, they sought to underscore past disagreements on the other side and the hurdles abortion rights groups face.

“We are united in our efforts to ensure that these out-of-state extremists are not allowed to tear the fabric of our Constitution by imposing unregulated, taxpayer-funded abortions up until the moment of birth, effectively eliminating all pro-life Missouri laws are overruled. said Stephanie Bell, a spokeswoman for the Missouri Stands with Women coalition.

Leaders of abortion rights groups said they were surprised and encouraged by polling last month that suggested a ballot measure that included a viability limit would pass. They declined to release polling numbers but said the measure polled higher than a version that also included a parental notification requirement or a version that explicitly banned government funding for abortion.

Jamie Corley, a former Republican congressional staffer, had begun collecting signatures for what she called a compromise approach to abortion, a ballot measure that would allow abortion up to twelve weeks of pregnancy but add exceptions for later abortions in cases of rape. incest or a threat to the woman's health. On Thursday, she said her group would take a closer look at the new proposal and decide in the coming weeks whether to proceed with their own proposal.

“We all agree that this ban cannot stand,” she said, “and there is urgency.”

The measure proposed by the coalition faces a steep climb in Missouri, where evangelical Christians make up a larger share of the population than in states like Ohio. Missouri is also home to some outspoken abortion abolitionists, and some state lawmakers have proposed charging women who have abortions with murder.

Missouri is not considered a swing state in the presidential election, which could make outside donors less inclined to invest in an abortion rights campaign there.

Still, the initiative's proponents are counting on a libertarian slant among the state's voters to make them receptive to arguments that the government should stay out of health care decisions.

Planned Parenthood on Thursday joined the coalition that proposed the initiative, despite previous statements against a viability limit. “Today, Missourians are taking a critical step to make their own medical decisions and kick politicians out of the exam room,” said Dr. Iman Alsaden, the chief physician at Planned Parenthood Great Plains.

Abortion rights groups are collecting signatures for similar ballot measures in about a dozen other states. Some are states where abortion remains legal, and the ballot measures would enshrine the right to the procedure in their constitutions. Some, like Arizona, are swing states.

In Florida, supporters of an abortion rights ballot initiative have collected nearly a million signatures in the past eight months — well more than the required number — but the attorney general is seeking to disqualify the effort. The state Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on the issue next month.