This past election cycle, Missourians made their voices clear. In 2024, we passed Amendment 3, restoring the right for all Missourians to make their own reproductive healthcare decisions…free from political interference, stigma or fear. By a majority vote, we affirmed that decisions about pregnancy belong to individuals and families, not politicians.
Yet less than six months later, the anti-reproductive healthcare supermajority in Jefferson City, joined by our Governor, Attorney General and Secretary of State, began working to undo what the people decided. Their goal? To overturn the will of the people and reinstate Missouri’s abortion ban.
They are doing this through a deeply deceptive new legislatively referred ballot measure designed to confuse voters. Their measure will be presented to voters with a ballot summary they drafted that does not tell voters the truth, that the measure would reinstate Missouri’s abortion ban. Instead, it claims to protect the rights of miscarrying women and victims of rape and incest. They are using aspiring mothers in medical distress and victimized women and children as bait to take away the constitutional rights we recently approved at the ballot box.
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The measure would abolish explicit constitutional protections for prenatal care, childbirth, postpartum care, birth control and safe-birthing conditions. It would even remove protections that prevent prosecution of family, friends and medical professionals who assist someone in accessing abortion or miscarriage care.
And disturbingly, these elected officials in Jefferson City gave this new anti-abortion measure the exact same name, “Amendment 3,” as the reproductive freedom amendment voters just approved in 2024. This is no coincidence, it is a deliberate attempt to create confusion and mislead voters into undoing their own decision.
This is an insult to the democratic process and to every Missourian who believes that our votes should matter.
Why this fight matters
As Jews, we are guided by values of human dignity, self-determination and bodily autonomy. These principles compel us to stand against laws that force people to remain pregnant against their will or deny them the care they need. Access Missouri was founded to put these values into action, supporting state and local candidates who will respect our rights, who will protect and restore reproductive freedom in Missouri.
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Unfortunately, the reality in Jefferson City is stark: a supermajority of our lawmakers oppose reproductive freedom. Year after year, they work to eliminate access to abortion and other forms of reproductive healthcare for all Missourians. The vote to add a constitutional right to abortion care in Missouri via the 2024 Amendment 3 ballot initiative proved that their vision does not match the will of the people. Missourians from all walks of life, and across the political spectrum, stood together to protect reproductive rights. Instead of respecting that decision, our state leaders are using deceptive tactics to push their own agenda.
A century-old right under threat
Over 100 years ago, Missourians amended our state constitution to give citizens the power to change it through the ballot initiative process. It is intentionally difficult, requiring massive effort, organization and resources. But it has served as a critical tool for citizens to act when politicians refuse to. That right means nothing, however, if elected officials can simply undo voter-approved measures in the next legislative session.
The path forward
The way to stop this cycle is to change who represents us in Jefferson City. We must send leaders to the State Capitol who will defend the will of the voters, uphold reproductive freedom and legislate in alignment with the values the majority of Missourians hold dear.
Access Missouri is committed to electing these leaders. We welcome people of all faiths and ethical traditions who believe in reproductive freedom as a matter of dignity, self-determination and bodily autonomy. Together, we can build a future where every Missourian has the power to make their own healthcare decisions without political interference.
How you can help
This fight will take all of us. We encourage you to support Access Missouri so that we can identify, support, and elect candidates who share our values and will protect our votes.
And we invite you to join us (rsvp here: tinyurl.com/tori-jen) on Sept. 9 as we celebrate two incredible champions of reproductive justice: Dr. Jennifer Smith (member Congregation B’nai Amoona) and attorney Tori Schafer. These fearless advocates were instrumental in ensuring Missourians have constitutional protections for reproductive healthcare. Now, they are working tirelessly to defend those rights from political attacks.
By standing together, and voting together, we can ensure Missouri remains a place where the will of the people truly matters. Our democracy depends on it.
