Missouri’s top court allows vote on abortion rights

• Missouri’s top court allows vote on abortion rights
• Amendment to restore abortion rights in the state will appear on the November ballot
• Abortion has been effectively banned since 2022 after Roe v Wade

Missouri’s top court allows vote on abortion rights

Missouri’s highest court ruled on Tuesday that a proposed amendment to restore abortion rights in the state will appear on the November ballot.

This decision allows voters to decide on the legality of abortion in Missouri, which has been effectively banned since 2022 when the state’s “trigger” law took effect following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.

The ruling reverses a lower court’s decision that had removed the amendment from the ballot after a lawsuit from anti-abortion groups.

Missouri currently enforces one of the strictest abortion bans in the country, allowing the procedure only in specific medical emergencies. Now, Missouri is one of nine states where voters will weigh in on abortion rights during the 2024 general election.

The court issued its ruling just before the deadline for finalising the November ballot and ordered state officials to take “all steps necessary” to ensure Amendment 3 is included for voter consideration.