abortion ban

Republican lawmakers put a measure on the 2026 ballot that would not just cement an abortion ban in the Missouri Constitution, but would also prevent transgender youth from accessing gender-affirming health care.

With no clear indication of when — or if — access to abortion will be restored in Missouri, and a GOP-crafted amendment banning the procedure heading for the ballot next year, advocates on both sides are navigating the uncertainty and gearing up for the fight ahead.

Two rulings from a Kansas City judge had allowed abortions in the state to resume while a challenge to its near-total ban proceeded to trial.

Missouri House Speaker Jon Patterson, who represents Lee's Summit, says next year's vote on whether to ban abortion again might not be the end of efforts around how the state regulates the procedure.

Even after Missouri Republicans pushed through a measure that would ban most abortions again, which voters will likely see on the 2026 ballot, Planned Parenthood will continue offering abortion services throughout the state.

Only six months after Missourians enshrined the right to an abortion in the state's constitution, the issue is going back before voters. Republican lawmakers approved an abortion ban amendment that would overturn many of the protections in Amendment 3.

It's the first time in more than 70 years that the House has adjourned early. The session had been scheduled to end on Friday.

After GOP lawmakers repealed parts of a voter initiative on paid sick leave and minimum wage, and added an abortion ban to the ballot, protesters say they will look at passing a constitutional amendment that legislators can't touch.

The governor's plan to convince the Chiefs and Royals to stay in Missouri hit a wall of resistance in the Senate. It now appears to be dead after Republican lawmakers cut off debate and forced through measures to ban abortion and repeal paid sick leave.

Voters will likely see the issue on the ballot in 2026. The amendment would ban most abortions, with limited exceptions before 12 weeks of pregnancy, and also includes language banning gender-affirming care for minors — something that's already in state law.

With just days remaining in the 2025 legislative session, unfinished Republican priorities include overturning voter-approved initiatives on abortion rights and paid sick leave.

Just months after Missouri voters approved an amendment to legalize abortion, Republican lawmakers are one vote away from putting abortion back on the ballot. The resolution would reinstate a statewide ban with some exceptions.