The Missouri approves the referendum to repeal the modification of the rights of the abortion

By David A. Lieb, Associated Press

Jefferson City, MO. (AP) – Six months after the Missouri voters approved an amendment to the rights of abortion, the Republican State legislators approved on Wednesday a new referendum which would request the repeal of the modification and rather prohibit most of the abortions with exceptions for rape.

The newly proposed constitutional amendment would return to voters in November 2026, or earlier, if the republican governor Mike Kehoe calls a special election before that.

The Republican senators used a series of rare procedural measures to cut the discussion by opposing the Democrats before passing the proposed revision of the abortion rights by a vote of 21-11. The measure adopted the house led by the Republicans last month.

Immediately after the vote, the demonstrators broke out with songs of “Stop the Ban!” And were left from the Senate room.

Missouri abortion policies have changed considerably in recent years.

When the United States Supreme Court ended a national right to abortion by overthrowing ROE v. Wade in 2022, he sparked a Missouri law to take effect to ban most abortions. But activists of abortion rights have gathered signatures of initiative petition to try to overthrow this.

Last November, Missouri voters narrowly approved a constitutional amendment guaranteeing a right to abortion until fetal viability, generally considered to be 21 weeks of pregnancy. The amendment also allows subsequent abortions to protect the life or health of pregnant women.

The new measure would require the abrogation of the amendment of abortion rights and would rather authorize abortions only for a medical emergency or a fetal anomaly, or in the event of rape or incest up to 12 weeks of pregnancy. It also prohibits gender transition surgeries, hormonal treatments and puberty blockers for minors, who are already prohibited under the law of the state.

Originally published: May 14, 2025 at 3:50 p.m.