JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — A Missouri appeals court panel mandated new wording on Thursday for a ballot measure that seeks to restrict abortion rights in the state. The court ruled that voters must be informed that the proposed amendment would repeal 'reproductive healthcare rights' that were approved just one year prior. This decision is part of an ongoing legal struggle regarding Missouri's abortion laws, which have shifted between restrictive and permissive since the U.S. Supreme Court's 2022 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, effectively ending the nationwide right to abortion.

Following the Supreme Court ruling, a Missouri law banning most abortions came into effect. In response, abortion-rights activists successfully gathered signatures to place an amendment on the 2024 ballot, which allowed for most abortions and was narrowly approved by voters. In May, the Republican-led Legislature proposed a new amendment for the 2026 ballot that would repeal the previous one, permitting abortions only in cases of medical emergencies, fetal anomalies, or instances of rape or incest up to 12 weeks of pregnancy. This amendment would also prohibit gender transition treatments for minors, which are already restricted under state law.

A state judge previously invalidated the ballot summary created by Republican lawmakers, labeling it insufficient and misleading. Although a revised version by Republican Secretary of State Denny Hoskins was approved, the appeals court determined that it 'falsely implies' the measure would establish new guarantees for access to certain reproductive healthcare services.

The appeals panel's new wording clarifies that the measure would 'Repeal the 2024 voter-approved Amendment providing reproductive healthcare rights, including abortion through fetal viability,' while also specifying the conditions under which abortions would still be permitted.

Hoskins' office did not provide comments on the recent ruling. Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway, whose office defended the ballot measure, expressed disagreement with the decision to revise the wording but noted satisfaction that the appeals panel rejected attempts to block the measure from appearing on the ballot. 'The Court has cleared the way for the people, not partisan litigants, to decide the future of health and safety for women and children in Missouri,' Hanaway stated.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which was involved in the lawsuit, highlighted the importance of the court's revised wording, stating that it is essential for Missourians to understand that they are being asked to eliminate protections for reproductive healthcare established in the last general election. Tori Schafer, director of policy and campaigns at the ACLU of Missouri, emphasized the potential implications of the ballot measure.

In the November 2024 elections, abortion-rights advocates succeeded in seven ballot measures across the U.S. while losing three. An abortion-rights amendment is set to appear on the ballot next year in Nevada, with a possibility of a similar measure in Virginia.