The Republican legislators of Misuri (United States) approved the call to referendum last week that, if approved, could restore many of the provincial laws of the State, largely annuling the state consultation that a few months ago extended the practice of abortion.
The new consultation, protected to the electoral extent HJR73, would ask voters if they want abortion to be allowed in case of medical emergency, fetal anomaly, rape or incest. It would also prohibit public financing for any abortion that is not carried out by medical emergency, rape or incest.
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In addition, the referendum would allow the General Assembly of the State to promulgate laws that regulate the provision of abortion services, abortion centers and abortion service providers, to guarantee the health and safety of pregnant women.
The measure would also constitutionally prohibit hormones, puberty blockers and “gender transition” surgeries for minors. Missuri already prohibits these procedures for minors, but that restriction, approved for the first time in 2023, will expire in August 2027.
The new referendum is expected to take place in November 2026, or before if Republican governor Mike Kehoe, who declares himself Catholic, summons special elections.
Last November, Misuri’s voters approved by a narrow margin revoke the almost state prohibition of abortion and enshrine a provision that guarantees “reproductive freedom” in the State Constitution, which entered into force on December 6, 2024.
Missuri’s legislation had previously extended the protection to fetuses throughout pregnancy, with the sole exception of “medical emergency” cases.
Although the 2024 amendment mentions that laws could be approved to restrict abortion beyond the “fetal viability” point, it also prohibits any interference with an abortion that a doctor considers necessary to “protect the life or physical or mental health of the mother.”
In recent years, Misuri legislators had approved numerous laws to protect patients and limit the influence of the abortion industry, including the 2017 regulations that require doctors who carry out abortions to be carried out in nearby hospitals; that the abortion clinics have a state license and that they meet standards similar to those of a hospital for outpatient surgery.
Shortly after the entry into force of the 2024 amendment, Planned Parenthood filed a lawsuit by challenging numerous protections in Misuri, including the 72 -hour waiting period for abortions; the prohibition of practicing abortions for the reasons of race, sex or diagnosis of the baby’s Down syndrome; The state prohibition of telemedicine abortions and the requirement that only licensed doctors can carry out abortions.
The Catholic Conference of Missuri, which advocates state policies on behalf of local bishops, described the next referendum as an “opportunity to return to the state constitution the health and safety protections for mothers and their unborn children.”
Previously, the ecclesial organism had expressed its support for HJR73, urging to support “the effort to reduce abortions in the state of Missuri, create a culture of life and compassion and limit the effects of amendment 3”.
Missuri was one of the first states to completely prohibit abortion after the ROE case against Wade was repealed in June 2022.
However, after the vote of 2024, Missuri and six other states expanded the legal protection of abortion, while the voters of Florida, Nebraska and Dakota del Sur rejected important projects in favor of this practice.
Translated and adapted by the ACI Press team. Originally published in CNA.
Jonah McKeown
Jonah McKeown is editor and producer of Podcasts of Catholic News Agency. He has a master’s degree from the School of Journalism at the University of Missouri and has worked as a writer, radio producer and cameraman.