KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Missourians voted Tuesday to approve Amendment 3, clearing the way for the state's near-total ban on abortion to be overturned, according to the Associated Press.
Abortions in Missouri have been illegal, with the exception of medical emergencies, since 2022 when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe vs. Wade and Missouri House Bill 126 went into effect.
HB126, which was passed by the Missouri Legislature in 2019, included a trigger that banned nearly all abortions in the state if the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe vs. Wade.
It made no exceptions for cases of rape and incest.
Prior to HB126, abortions in Missouri were allowed up to 22 weeks.
Amendment 3, which goes into effect in 30 days, allows abortions up to fetal viability.
Fetal viability is defined as "the point in pregnancy when, in the good faith judgment of a treating health care professional and based on the particular facts of the case, there is a significant likelihood of the fetus’s sustained survival outside the uterus without the application of extraordinary."
Missourians for Constitutional Freedom, an abortion rights group, led efforts to get Amendment 3 on the general election’s ballot.
The group gathered thousands of signatures for the ballot initiative, which was later certified by the Missouri State of Secretary in August.
Just weeks later, anti-abortion advocates challenged the legality of Amendment 3, claiming it violated the Missouri Constitution and state law.
A lawsuit filed by the advocates said the language of Amendment 3 failed to "specify the laws and constitutional provisions that it would repeal, directly or by implication," according to a press release from Thomas More Society, the nonprofit that filed a lawsuit on behalf of lawmakers.
Ultimately, the Missouri Supreme Court ruled in September Amendment 3 could remain on the ballot.
Emily Wales, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Plains, spoke at the podium after the amendment passed.
"We are here to celebrate but know that next steps will mean going to court to ensure that people get back what should have never been taken from them," said Wales. "And soon, when Missourians ask where they can get care, they will have a simple answer: here at home."
Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, who opposed Amendment 3, released a statement expressing disappointment in its passage.
We mourn the lives that will be lost under Amendment 3,” said SBA Pro-Life Director of State Affairs Sue Liebel. “Missouri is now far less free with a late-term abortion amendment in the constitution that will enable the ACLU and abortion industry to strip Missourians of parental consent and force them to pay for abortions. The disappointing results are a reminder that human rights battles are not won overnight. Throughout history, great injustices have taken time and persistence to rectify. We must persevere in working to undo the abortion industry’s 50-year political monopoly and the deeply rooted lies abortion activists have sown to legitimize taking the lives of more than 60 million babies in the womb.
We’re thankful for the bold voices and tireless efforts of pro-life advocates in Missouri. Their dedication to serving Missouri women and saving children was on full display. They labored in love to save their state from this terrible outcome, spending countless hours sharing the truth about the ACLU’s radical amendment. Our hearts go out to the babies, women and parents in Missouri whose rights have been stripped away by this radical measure.