Ballot Issue

Cole County Circuit Judge Daniel Green ruled that Secretary of State Denny Hoskins' proposed ballot language was "fair and sufficient," even though it does not explicitly state that the constitutional amendment would again ban most abortions in Missouri.

The proposed amendment drafted by Republican lawmakers will appear before voters in November 2026, two years after Missourians codified the right to reproductive health care in the state constitution.

Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins will have to rewrite the ballot summary for a proposed constitutional amendment a third time, because the judge ruled that it "fails to adequately alert voters" that the measure would ban abortion.

The Democratic National Committee announced it will send people and money to Missouri, to help a referendum effort aimed at blocking a new congressional map from going into effect.

The new map breaks the Kansas-City-based district of Democrat Emmanuel Cleaver into three in an effort to make it more Republican-leaning. It's already facing a torrent of legal challenges plus an initiative petition campaign to defeat it at the ballot.

A judge ordered Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins to rewrite the ballot language for an anti-abortion ballot measure, calling it "insufficient and unfair” because it failed to mention the amendment would repeal abortion rights. Hoskins' new language still doesn't mention the ban.

A recent Missouri law giving the attorney general the sole power to appeal preliminary injunctions in cases involving state law is unconstitutional, a judge ruled this week. Attorney General Catherine Hanaway plans to appeal.

A group called People Not Politicians announced that it's gathering signatures to prevent Missouri's new congressional map from going into effect until there's a statewide vote. Voters will also have to approve of a Republican plan cracking down on citizen-led constitutional amendments.

Missouri senators are expected to debate and then vote Friday on a Republican-drawn map that seeks to oust Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, as well as a plan to make it harder to pass citizen-led constitutional amendments. Cleaver gave an impassioned testimony against the effort Thursday.

On the same day that thousands of protesters filled the Missouri Capitol to protest gerrymandering, Republicans used a rare procedural maneuver to cut off debate over the rules of the special session.

Protesters demanded that Republicans halt their efforts to redistrict Missouri and make it harder for voter-led constitutional amendments to pass. After protesting in the rotunda, rally-goers packed the Senate chambers, where lawmakers are set to take up both proposals.

Currently, constitutional amendments created through Missouri's initiative petition process only need a statewide vote to be enacted. A Republican ballot measure would make winning much more difficult — and it's now headed to the Senate.