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With most abortions illegal in Missouri, few expect new bills will get traction this year
Nearly every abortion is illegal in Missouri. But that hasn’t slowed the pace of anti-abortion legislation in the Missouri statehouse. As lawmakers return to the Capitol for the 2024 legislation session, Republican lawmakers have already filed numerous bills seeking further restrictions on abortion and abortion providers. Yet even the staunchest anti-abortion activists concede it’s unlikely […]
‘Not alone’: Missourians experiencing infertility say insurance is a major hurdle to care
SPRINGFIELD — Angela Crawford was desperately trying to get pregnant when her niece was born. The first time she held the infant, a cascade of tears fell. She quickly handed the baby back to her mother, fled to the bathroom and became catatonic. Loved ones tried to console her with well-meaning platitudes, but it was […]
Planned Parenthood backs Crystal Quade with abortion a focus of Missouri governor race
House Minority Leader Crystal Quade believes abortion can win on the ballot in Missouri. And Planned Parenthood, which announced its endorsement of the Springfield Democrat’s campaign for governor on Monday, believes Quade can win, too. Planned Parenthood Great Plains Votes is endorsing Quade, who announced a campaign for governor in July. In a state where […]
Missouri abortion-rights amendments face ‘torturous’ process to make it to 2024 ballot
Pulling off a successful ballot initiative campaign in Missouri is an undertaking so difficult that one Democratic political consultant compares it to skiing the slalom at the Olympics. There is a laundry list of deadlines to meet, an army of signature gatherers to hire, a host of legal battles to fight — all with a […]
Missouri rape hotline reporting requirement in abortion-rights petition draws criticism
When Trish Mitchell got an abortion three decades ago in Missouri, she didn’t tell the doctor her pregnancy was a result of sexual assault. She couldn’t bring herself to. It would be years before she told anyone that she had been raped. “Speaking for myself, it was literally almost impossible,” said Mitchell, who was 21 […]
Missouri Supreme Court won’t hear Jay Ashcroft’s appeal of abortion ballot summaries
The Missouri Supreme Court has denied Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft’s atrempt to appeal rulings against his ballot summary for initiative petitions seeking to enshrine the right to abortion in the state constitution. The court also rejected an appeal seeking to reject cost estimates crafted by Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick. The decisions came down Monday evening, less […]
Abortion rights won big on the ballot in Ohio. But in Missouri, advocates remain divided
Missouri could be the first state with a near-total abortion ban to use the initiative petition process to restore access. But time is running short, with a May deadline to collect enough signatures looming and court battles over ballot summaries still plodding along. And while voters in Ohio became just the latest to overwhelmingly back […]