Petitions to put abortion rights on the ballot in Missouri and Arizona were officially approved this week, adding to a growing list of states where reproductive rights will be before voters in November.
Both ballot measures would amend their respective state's constitutions to enshrine the right to an abortion after the Supreme Court overturned the nationwide right to abortion in 2022, prompting state-by-state action on the issue.
In Missouri, supporters of abortion rights have been pushing to amend the state constitution to allow abortion in the state, where a near-total ban is currently in place. To qualify for the ballot, roughly 170,000 signatures from six out of eight congressional districts were required. On Tuesday, Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft certified that the petition had enough support to appear on the ballot.
The ballot measure will present Missouri voters with an opportunity to amend the constitution to establish a right to "make and carry out decisions" about reproductive health care, including abortion and contraceptives, while removing the state's current abortion restrictions. It would allow abortion to be restricted or banned after fetal viability is reached with exceptions related to the health of the patient.
On Monday, Arizona joined the list of states adding abortion to the ballot. The proposed constitutional amendment, if approved, would enshrine a right to an abortion in the state's constitution and would also prohibit punishment against anyone who assists a person in getting an abortion.
The Arizona measure required 383,923 signatures. Organizers said in July that they submitted an unprecedented 823,685 signatures amid controversy surrounding the possibility of a near-total ban stemming from an 1864 law that only allowed exceptions to save the mother's life. Abortion is currently restricted in the state after 15 weeks of pregnancy.
@LeftLaneBobDemocrat4wks4W
These initiatives will bury Trump in these states (Arizona as well). Hence why the Republican Party fought tooth and nail to keep these off the ballot.
Cope MAGA. You’re cooked.
@OptimisticPuddingGreen4wks4W
Republicans were extremely foolish in their obsession to block abortions.
@AbalonePatRepublican4wks4W
And by “block abortion” you mean hand the issue back to the states, right?
Hey look, the process how it's supposed to happen after Roe was overturned.
@V0t1ngCicadaDemocrat4wks4W
If that were the case, shouldn’t the legislature have put it to an immediate vote by the populace after Roe was overturned? Instead they enacted one of the most draconian abortion laws in the US and have fought to keep this amendment off the ballot.
Which would be fair to say, if the Supreme Court had not ruled gerrymandering completely legal for partisan political gain. That makes voting “in people that will allow it” much more difficult.
@V0t1ngCicadaDemocrat4wks4W
And gerrymandering isn't a single party issue. Both take advantage and draw maps to put their party at an advantage. It's up to the courts if there's an issue.
@ISIDEWITH4wks4W
@ISIDEWITH4wks4W
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