Missouri abortion amendment

Gov. Mike Parson is leaving office in January after more than six and a half years in the job. He spoke about his handling of the COVID pandemic, the abortion ban he signed into law, and his experience working with Republican supermajorities.

In August, Planned Parenthood opened a clinic in Pittsburgh, Kansas — just five miles from the Missouri border. But workers don't expect demand at the clinic to decline after Missouri voted to lift it's current abortion ban. Plus: Midwest builders are using wood in a new, climate-friendly way to construct high rises.

Judge Jerri Zhang has yet to issue her ruling in a lawsuit filed by Planned Parenthood that seeks to strike down the state’s ban on abortions Friday, when a voter-approved amendment protecting abortion access goes into effect.

After voters approved Amendment 3 in November, Planned Parenthood attorneys want to overturn a number of Missouri laws that regulate abortion services and providers. A court decision on the lawsuit could come soon.

A Jackson County judge on Wednesday will hear Planned Parenthood’s attempt to overturn a number of Missouri laws regulating abortion. Meanwhile, several GOP legislators have already filed bills hoping to reinstate an abortion ban.

Dr. Betsy Wickstrom, a high-risk OB-GYN in Kansas City, is a Republican and a Christian but supported last month's abortion-rights amendment. She's concerned about what the future may hold with Missouri lawmakers threatening to overturn some of its protections.

Some reproductive rights activists say that Amendment 3, which Missouri voters passed in November, didn't go far enough in expanding abortion access to help the most vulnerable populations. One sticking point was the amendment's language setting limits at "fetal viability," which does not have a true medical definition.

The leader of Planned Parenthood Great Plains says the move is a ploy to prevent a Jackson County judge from potentially knocking down other abortion restrictions. Andrew Bailey says his office will continue to enforce laws requiring parental consent and outlawing coercion.

Missourians have backed ballot items supported by Democrats in the past decade — including abortion rights, expanded Medicaid, legalized marijuana and labor rights — while also giving Republicans unfettered control over state government.

More than a dozen religious leaders had challenged Missouri's near-total abortion ban in 2023, on the grounds it contained explicitly religious language and violated the state constitution.

Missouri became the first state to overturn a near-total abortion ban through a voter referendum in last week's election. Planned Parenthood Great Plains president Emily Wales says they're ready to resume abortion services by early December, although prolonged legal battles could push that date back.

Missouri voters last week passed a constitutional amendment to enshrine the right to an abortion. Emily Wales of Planned Parenthood Great Plains explains what abortion access could look like in the state, and what's next for the fight for reproductive rights.