On Tuesday, the Missouri Supreme Court ruled that a proposed amendment to enshrine the “right to abortion” in the Missouri Constitution will appear on the November ballot, overturning a lower court ruling that held that the proposed amendment violates state law by failing to specify which laws would be repealed if voters approve the measure. “Respondent John R. Ashcroft shall certify to local election authorities that Amendment 3 be placed on the November 5, 2024, general election ballot and shall take all steps necessary to ensure that it is on said ballot,” the court stated in a brief order.
The Thomas More Society, a Catholic public interest law firm, had filed the lawsuit challenging Amendment 3 in August on behalf of state Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman, state Rep. Hannah Kelly, pro-life activist Kathy Forck, and Peggy Forrest, president of Our Lady’s Inn, a St. Louis County shelter for homeless pregnant women. Thomas More Society Senior Counsel Mary Catherine Martin called the Supreme Court decision a failure to protect voters and said that “Amendment 3 will have far-reaching implications on the state’s abortion laws and well beyond, repealing dozens of laws that protect the unborn, pregnant women, parents, and children, a reality that the initiative campaign intentionally hid from voters.”
If approved by a simple majority of voters, Amendment 3 would not only allow practically unrestricted access to elective abortion at any stage of pregnancy, but it would also override basic safeguards that help protect women from unsafe procedures. For instance, it would allow any health care professional (including nurses, pharmacists, physician assistants, and dental hygienists) to approve or perform an abortion, it would shield negligent health care professionals from being penalized or prosecuted for the harm or death of a woman, and it would eliminate parental notification and consent.
Click the links to read the stories by the St. Louis Review and the Catholic Missourian.
To read the MCC official statement on this issue, click here. To know more about the harmful effects of pro-abortion Amendment 3, click here
