Breaking News from the Show-Me State...
Back in 2024, the citizens of Missouri approved an iniative to ensure that women would be able to make their own decisions about their own bodies - in particular, whether they could get an abortion or not. No government restrictions, no interference by said same. The initiative was known as Amendment 3, or the Right to Reproductive Freedom Initiative.
Before this, Missouri basically forbade any abortions past six weeks, with no exceptions for rape or incest. The only exception beyond six weeks was danger to the life of the mother...but there was a catch there, too; the doctor had to be able to prove, in a court of law, that the procedure was necessary. If they could not so so, they were held criminally liable. In other words, a doctor performing an abortion past the sixth week was guilty until proven innocent. That's a complete perversion of our justice system.
But, hurrah! Missouri kicked those restrictions to the curb.
However...
The General Assembly of the state noticed that the margin of victory on Amendment 3 was only about three percent - the numbers were about 51% yea, 49% nay.
So what they did was, they ginned up their own Amendment 3, which basically negates everything the original initiative says and restores many of the restrictions of the old oppressive law. And then, they added some happy-fun (NOT) restrictions on transgender care for minors (for their purpose, anyone under 18), including surgeries, puberty blockers, and extra testosterone or estrogen. Doctors would be forbidden to do any of those things for a transgender teen, and could be held criminally liable if they disobeyed.
It's still known as Amendment 3, which is bound to cause confusion; but what it really is, is a Frankenstein's monster - hollowed out, turned into nearly the opposite of what it was before, with a bunch of extra parts sewn, glued, and bolted on. Yikes.
Oh, But It Can't Be All Bad!
Well...kinda true. A few bones were tossed in for the folks at home.
The G.A.'s mutant initiative generously allows abortions up to week 12, as well as exemptions for rape or incest (but still under a time limit - aren't these politicians so nice!). Ectopic pregnancies, fetal anomalies, and danger to the mother's life are also exempted...but a non-fatal abnormality in a fetus is not. If a minor child (under 18, not emancipated) wishes to get an abortion, a parent or guardian must sign off on it (but what if the father is also the girl's abuser?), or it has to go through the court. And lest there be any doubt, the woman has to give "her full consent" to having the abortion done. (There's some convoluted language about situations "where consent cannot be given" - I had trouble understanding it, but it has a distinct "dead mouse in the walls" aroma.)
The G.A. reserves the right to make all sorts of laws covering where an abortion may be performed (the facility has to meet certain standards), as well as who may perform any procedures related to an abortion (a doctor with privileges at a local hospital), not to mention all the tests the woman must undergo before the procedure even happens! This right seems to be open-ended - which means the G.A. could keep moving the goal posts until Missouri was right back where it began before the 2024 initiative!
At one point, the new initiative displays the original language of the 2024 initiative (clearly visible even with the strikeouts), which basically told the government of Missouri to keep its long pointy nose out of Missouri women's business. The G.A.'s monster would destroy all that, plus endangering the health and safety of transgender people, teenagers in particular. And lest we forget, a majority of Missouri voters approved that original 2024 initiative.
The irony is, if this new version is approved, it won't save children's or mothers' lives; it will only make it harder for women to receive necessary care, and will delay that care so as to follow the new (old) law to the letter, regardless of the effect it could have on the mother. For example, a mother experiencing pregnancy-related health issues that are not fatal will not be able to terminate her late-term pregnancy, even though she may end up having those health issues for the rest of her life.
The sad statistical fact is that in states with restrictive abortion laws, maternal fatalities are higher than the national average, and much higher than in states where a woman's choice is respected.
So What Can Be Done?
First off, if you are a Missouri voter - or know someone who is - then you can start by reading this mess for yourselves:
https://documents.house.mo.gov/billtracking/bills251/hlrbillspdf/2454H.05T.pdf
Read it again and again until you know it inside-out. Pay careful attention to the ballot language at the very end - it is highly deceptive. Those slimeballs who wrote it did a nice job of putting lipstick on their monster...but it's still a monster, and nobody wants a monster rampaging through their state. For added security, copy and share the pdf with any Missouri woman you know...because believe me, she needs to know what these guys are up to!
Second: Vote NO on this "Amendment 3"! Educate everyone around you as to what this law will do, and encourage them to register and make a plan so they can vote "no" as well. This is a serious issue that will affect Missouri women and girls for years - maybe even decades, if the state doesn't flip blue soon.
If enough Missourians strike this monster down, maybe the G.A. won't keep trying to jolt it back to life.
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