Missouri voters this week rejected Amendment 3, the pro-life measure that would have amended the state constitution to limit the number of abortions in the state and reinstate protections for women and children. Although Amendment 3 received majority support in 103 of Missouri’s 115 counties, it was defeated statewide by approximately 44.5% to 55.5%.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the Missouri bishops expressed their disappointment over the results: “We are profoundly saddened that Missouri voters chose to reject pro-life Amendment 3 and the legal protections for women and children we had hoped to restore.” However, they vowed that this would not mark the end of the Church’s work to help those in need and defend the dignity of human life.
“The Catholic Church in Missouri will continue to advocate for policies that uphold the dignity of every human person, protect the most vulnerable among us, and provide compassionate support to those in need, as she has always done,” they stated. “We remain steadfast in our commitment to accompany mothers and fathers facing hardship in their pregnancies and offer hope and healing to those who have been wounded by the scourge of abortion.”
As a result, nearly unrestricted abortion through all nine months of pregnancy will remain legal in Missouri, where numerous Planned Parenthood clinics are already performing both surgical and chemical abortions without state supervision.
Missourians also approved Amendment 6, which restricts the Legislature’s ability to modify amendments adopted through the initiative petition process. Under the amendment, any legislative changes to a citizen-initiated amendment would require approval from 80% of both the Missouri House and Senate. In practice, it means that any future effort to repeal the state’s nearly unrestricted abortion laws would have to come via initiative petition. Amendment 6 is likely to face legal challenges, as concerns have been raised about its constitutionality. Click here to see the full Missouri general election results from the Secretary of State’s website.
Across the country, three other states faced measures to expand abortion: Virginia, Nevada, and Idaho. In Virginia, voters passed an amendment to the state constitution legalizing abortion through all nine months of pregnancy. Nevada voters approved a constitutional amendment that will allow unborn babies to be aborted up to the point of “viability” without restrictions. In Idaho, the sole bright spot of the day, voters rejected an effort to legalize abortion up to the point of “viability.” Click here to know more.