Arizona, Missouri join states with ballot measures to codify abortion rights

 By Diana Chandler - Posted at Baptist Press:

Published August 15, 2024

NASHVILLE (BP) – Arizona and Missouri are the latest states to add measures to the November ballot allowing voters to enshrine abortion rights in their respective state constitutions, joining at least six other states with similar measures.

In at least two states, Nebraska and Pennsylvania, ballot initiatives to protect life are pending.

Continue here.

See also:

• Missouri residents to decide in November on 'abortion throughout any stage of the pregnancy' (liveaction.org)

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2024 Missouri Ballot Measures

Official Ballot Title
Amendment 3

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[View Certificate of Sufficiency]

Proposed by Initiative Petition

Official Ballot Title:

Do you want to amend the Missouri Constitution to:

• establish a right to make decisions about reproductive health care, including abortion and contraceptives, with any governmental interference of that right presumed invalid;
• remove Missouri’s ban on abortion;
• allow regulation of reproductive health care to improve or maintain the health of the patientrequire the government not to discriminate, in government programs, funding, and other activities, against persons providing or obtaining reproductive health care; and
• allow abortion to be restricted or banned after Fetal Viability except to protect the life or health of the woman?

State governmental entities estimate no costs or savings, but unknown impact. Local governmental entities estimate costs of at least $51,000 annually in reduced tax revenues. Opponents estimate a potentially significant loss to state revenue.

Fair Ballot Language:

A “yes” vote will enshrine the right to abortion at any time of a pregnancy in the Missouri Constitution. Additionally, it will prohibit any regulation of abortion, including regulations designed to protect women undergoing abortions and prohibit any civil or criminal recourse against anyone who performs an abortion and hurts or kills the pregnant women.

A “no” vote will continue the statutory prohibition of abortion in Missouri.

If passed, this measure may reduce local taxes while the impact to state taxes is unknown.

Full Text: SJR71.pdf (mo.gov)

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Initiative, Referendum and Recall Applications (arizona.vote)

Overview:

"The Arizona Abortion Access Act amends the Arizona Constitution to establish a fundamental right to abortion that the State (defined by the act to mean the State, an agency of the State, or a political subdivision of the State) may not deny, restrict or interfere with [1] before the point in pregnancy when a health care provider determines that the fetus has a significant likelihood of survival outside the uterus without extraordinary medical measures unless justified by a compelling governmental interest (defined by the act as a law, regulation, policy, or practice enacted for the limited purpose of improving or maintaining the health of an individual seeking abortion care, consistent with accepted clinical standards of practice and evidence-based medicine, and that does not infringe on that individual's autonomous decision-making) that is achieved by the least restrictive means, or [2] after that point in pregnancy if a health care provider determines an abortion is necessary to protect the life or the physical or mental health of the pregnant individual; and under which the State may not penalize individuals or entities for assisting a pregnant individual in exercising their right to abortion."

Application and Full Text: I-05-2024 Arizona for Abortion Access.pdf