The League of Women Voters of Missouri is supporting the Reproductive Freedom measure that was certified by the Secretary of State as Amendment 3 on the Nov. 5 ballot.
“Missouri currently bans abortion at all stages of pregnancy, with no exceptions for rape, incest or the health of the mother," says LWVMO President Marilyn McLeod. "I think a large majority of Missouri voters oppose that extreme ban and will vote to restore reproductive freedom and protect women’s health on Nov. 5.”
The campaign to restore reproductive rights in Missouri collected 380,159 petition signatures in just three months and turned them in to the Missouri Secretary of State’s office on May 3. To put a citizen-led constitutional amendment before voters, the campaign had to collect signatures from 8% of voters in six of Missouri’s eight congressional districts (a total of about 171,000 signatures)
“We believe current threats to reproductive rights undermine our democracy by allowing the minority to rule,” says Joan Hubbard. “According to the Pew Research Center, 63 percent of Americans want abortion to be legal in most circumstances.”
Hubbard, LWVMO board member and co-president of the Metro St. Louis League, introduced a resolution at the LWVUS convention in June, saying, "This resolution is urgent in states working to enshrine the right to reproductive freedom for all women in 2024.” See the text below.
Whereas the League of Women Voters has been supporting women’s rights since 1920, adopted a position in 1983 “affirming the constitutional right of privacy of the individual to make reproductive choices,” and resolved in 2022 that the League supports the rights of women and those who can become pregnant to self-determination related to, and including, but not limited to bodily autonomy, privacy, reproductive health, and lifestyle choice;
Whereas afterDobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization in 2022 eliminated the constitutional right to abortion, rolling back nearly 50 years of legal precedent, leading to severe restrictions, with 14 states completely banning abortion, except in limited cases, and 27 states significantly restricting it to as little as six weeks into pregnancy; reproductive constitutional rights have been affirmed in six state constitutions and League members in Missouri and nine other states anticipate constitutional changes on their ballots in 2024,
Whereas restrictions on reproductive rights have extended to the ways in which miscarriages and fetal abnormalities are handled, as well as challenges to in-vitro fertilization (IVF) and contraception, and the fight for reproductive freedom must be comprehensive and focus on both rights and access; including but not limited to contraception and abortion;
Whereas restrictions on reproductive rights disproportionately impact women (and others who can become pregnant), especially those in communities of color, with low incomes, with disabilities, living in rural areas, who are not citizens, and/or identify as LGBTQIA+; therefore
Be it resolved that the League of Women Voter reaffirms its commitment to fight for reproductive rights and justice, including bodily autonomy, privacy, reproductive health, and access to contraception and abortion, and against disinformation on this issue.
The League adopted a position in 1983 “affirming the constitutional right of privacy of the individual to make reproductive choices.”
The LWVMO state board endorsed the Reproductive Freedom initiative last November with dozens of members gathering thousands of signatures to get it on the November ballot. Kay Park chairs the League's Reproductive Rights Committee. Contact her at reprorights [at] lwvstl.org.
