Reproductive-rights supporters in Missouri announced a campaign on Thursday to put a constitutional amendment before voters. If passed, it would end the state's near-total ban on abortion and allow the procedure to take place about 24 weeks into a pregnancy. However, Missourians for Constitutional Freedom must overcome a tight signature-collection deadline, a hostile state government, and a rival campaign that wants to place a narrower measure on the ballot.
The new coalition, which includes local Planned Parenthood affiliates and the state's branch of the ACLU, has until May 5 to submit anywhere from 172,000 to 189,000 valid signatures. (Citizen-initiated amendments need to collect signatures equal to at least 8% of the vote in the last race for governor in six of the state's eight congressional districts, so the total will depend on which districts organizers target.)
Abortion-rights advocates had hoped to start sooner, but a long-running and costly legal battle with Republican Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft delayed them. Ashcroft, who is running for governor, responded to the group's draft proposals with summary language claiming they would "allow for dangerous, unregulated, and unrestricted abortions, from conception to live birth, without requiring a medical license or potentially being subject to medical malpractice."
A state court ultimately replaced Ashcroft's text, calling it "replete with politically partisan language." The state Supreme Court refused to hear his appeal, handing a win to organizers, but the fight cost them precious time.
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