Missouri Republican Considers Overriding Voters' Decision on Abortion Rights
On Election Day, voters made Missouri the first state with a total abortion ban after Roe v. Wade to pass a constitutional amendment recognizing abortion as a fundamental right — but right-wing lawmakers now appear to be exploring ways to override the will of the people.
“Anti-abortion, anti-democracy politicians are going to try to stomp us out,” Mallory Schwarz, executive director with Abortion Action Missouri, told a crowd when the passage of the abortion rights amendment was announced.
Missouri was one of seven states that passed abortion rights measures on Election Day last week. By voting yes on Amendment 3, Missouri voters successfully overturned one of the nation’s strictest abortion bans, which had prohibited abortion entirely without exceptions for cases of rape or incest. Amendment 3 — which passed nearly 52 to 48 percent — establishes and safeguards the fundamental right to reproductive freedom in the state’s constitution. In 30 days, when the amendment takes effect, abortion will become legal up to the point of fetal viability, which is generally defined as the stage when a fetus can survive outside the womb, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists......
While Missouri House Majority Leader Jonathan Patterson (R) has urged lawmakers to respect the will of voters in passing Amendment 3, Rep. Justin Sparks (R), who is competing with Patterson for the speakership, would like to limit or even overturn the abortion rights amendment.
“That’s not what the leader of the Republican caucus should be saying, guys,” Sparks said in a video announcing his bid for the speakership and addressing Patterson’s call to respect voters’ support of the abortion rights amendment. “On day one, your speaker must address and tackle Amendment 3.”
https://truthout.org/articles/missouri-republican-considers-overriding-voters-decision-on-abortion-rights/
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