REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS

April 2024 Annual Report

The LWVSTL Reproductive Rights Committee has had a very busy year. In March of 2023, 11 versions of an Initiative Petition to amend the Missouri Constitution to allow for Reproductive Freedom were filed by Dr. Anna Fitz-James and supported by the Missourians for Constitutional Freedom. The petitions were blocked by Missouri legislators in every way they could. First, Attorney General Andrew Bailey refused to sign off on the State Auditors projected cost and then Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft crafted misleading ballot summary language. Both of these issues required lawsuits to resolve them. The LWVMO filed an amicus brief in August 2023 in support of Dr. Fitz-James challenge of the misleading ballot summary. All of this resulted in months of delays to finally get an accurate ballot summary. Before the final version was chosen, the LWVMO endorsed five of the six final IPs with hope that it could move quickly. It wasn’t until December 2023 that the lawsuits had cleared the IP to move forward, delaying the process for eight months.

The final IP campaign launched in February 2024, allowing only 3 ½ months to gather 172,000 signatures. The LWVSTL has joined Abortion Access Missouri, Jobs with Justice, Women’s Voices Raised for Social Justice, National Council for Jewish Women and more to begin the process of gathering signatures.

Multiple groups provided circulator training. LWVSTL trained 72 people signaturer gatherers and turned in 5,574 signatures in the past three months. 

The next hurdle we may face is legislative attempts to make it more difficult to pass constitutional amendments proposed by citizens. SJR 74 violates the principle of one person, one vote, requiring approval in both a majority of congressional districts and a majority of the statewide vote. If that ballot measure is on the August 6 ballot, we will have to work hard to educate people that it takes power away from citizens. The goal is to prevent the people from winning reproductive freedom through a fair vote in November. The voters have to stand up to protect their rights to allow their voices to be heard and counted.

–Kay Park, Chair
reprorights [at] lwvstl.org

April 2023

The St. Louis Reproductive Rights Committee was established in July 2022 in response to the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe V. Wade to stand up for reproductive rights.

• To co-ordinate with other groups with similar interests to strengthen our stance, such as Planned Parenthood and Pro-Choice Missouri.
• To monitor reproductive healthcare legislation and take positions on bills.
• To educate and inform our members about upcoming legislation.
• To inform the public about legislative and social issues through rallies, protests, and literature.

We are coordinating efforts of letter writing and discussion to promote the ratification of the ERA.

The committee is monitoring a lawsuit based on the ban violating the Missouri Constitution's  Separation of Church and State.