Missouri Supreme Court rules abortion rights measure will be on state ballot

By Gabriella Borter

(Reuters) -Missouri's top court on Tuesday ruled that a proposed abortion rights amendment to the state constitution will appear on the ballot in November, allowing voters to decide whether to restore legal abortion in Missouri for the first time in over two years.

The measure, which proposes a right to abortion in Missouri until fetal viability, seemed set to be put to voters on the November ballot after organizers submitted more than 250,000 petition signatures and the secretary of state's office verified them last month.

But in response to a lawsuit filed by anti-abortion lawmakers and advocates, a circuit court judge ruled on Friday that the measure should not have qualified for the ballot because it did not sufficiently explain the ramifications that its passage would have.

The group sponsoring the measure, Missourians for Constitutional Freedom, appealed the ruling over the weekend.

The supreme court decision on Tuesday came just hours before the deadline for Missouri's ballot printing. On Tuesday morning, the court heard arguments from the representatives for the respondents - including conservative state lawmaker Mary Elizabeth Coleman - and for the appellants, including Missourians for Constitional Freedom.

Missouri's secretary of state John Ashcroft "shall certify to local election authorities that Amendment 3 be placed on the November 5, 2024, general election ballot and shall take all steps necessary to ensure that it is on said ballot," Chief Justice Mary Russell wrote in the ruling notice.

Missouri is currently enforcing a total abortion ban with exceptions for medical emergencies. The ballot measure's proposal to enshrine the right to abortion until fetal viability - typically around 24 weeks in pregnancy - drew support from 52% of Missouri voters in a St. Louis University/YouGov poll conducted from Aug. 9-16. The measure would need more than 50% support to pass.

The issue of abortion is now set to appear on ballots in nine states this November, including Missouri and a few battleground states likely to play critical roles in the presidential race and the fight for control of Congress.

(Reporting by Gabriella Borter; Editing by Leslie Adler)