Respect Life Apostolate - Archdiocese of St. Louis

More than 1,100 messengers at the @MoBaptists annual convention voted unanimously Tuesday to endorse a ballot measure restricting abortion and safeguarding minors from sex-change procedures. “I think we need to stand together as Missouri Baptists in support of women and just let women across the state of Missouri [know] we are here as Christians to walk with them through any crisis they encounter,” said Susan Klein. “Also, support Amendment 3 and save these babies.” heartlandernews.com/missouri…

𝗠𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗶 𝗖𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼-𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗔𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗘𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗗𝗮𝘆 On Nov. 3, Missouri could become the first U.S. state to reverse a previously passed pro-abortion amendment since the overturn of Roe v. Wade — a unique opportunity for the Show-Me State’s pro-life voters. “This vote may be the best chance we have in the near future to reinstate protections for mothers and their preborn children,” said Jamie Morris, executive director of the Missouri Catholic Conference, which advocates policy on behalf of the state’s Catholic bishops. Almost exactly two years ago, Missouri voters narrowly approved Amendment 3, which added language guaranteeing “reproductive freedom” to the state constitution — a provision which has since been used by courts to strike down many of the state’s pro-life laws, once some of the strongest in the nation. Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s overturn of Roe in 2022, Missouri protected unborn babies under law throughout all of pregnancy, with the only exception being cases of “medical emergency.” Following the 2024 “reproductive freedom” amendment’s passage, however, nearly all of Missouri’s pro-life protections were rendered unenforceable — including the state’s ban on race- and sex-selective abortions. Despite being heavily outspent by out-of-state political organizations that lobbied for the previous pro-abortion amendment, the 2024 vote in Missouri was exceedingly narrow. It needed a simple majority to pass and garnered just under 52% of the vote. By contrast, Florida voted on a similar pro-abortion measure the same night in 2024, which garnered 57% of the vote in the Sunshine State — but that amendment needed a 60% majority to pass, and thus it failed. Galvanized by the closeness of the defeat, Republican lawmakers and pro-life leaders in Missouri announced plans almost immediately to introduce a fresh referendum to repeal the new “reproductive freedom” provision. As a result, Missouri is one of four states that will present an abortion-related ballot question before voters on Nov. 3 — and the only state this time around where voters will consider a pro-life measure. (In an ironic and potentially confusing twist, the pro-life measure that voters will consider in Missouri this Election Day is once again named Amendment 3, the same as the pro-abortion measure from two years ago.) If passed, Amendment 3 would impose a new prohibition on most abortions, with exceptions for cases of medical emergencies and fatal fetal anomalies, as well as cases of rape and incest during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. It would also clear the way for many of Missouri’s previously passed pro-life protections, such as a 72-hour waiting period, to be reinstated. In addition to restoring many protections related to abortion, the new Amendment 3 would also constitutionally ban hormones, puberty blockers and surgeries for the purpose of “gender transition” for minors. Missouri already has a law that bans those procedures for minors, but that restriction, first passed in 2023, is set to expire in August 2027. Sam Lee, a deacon with the Archdiocese of St. Louis and a longtime pro-life lobbyist in Jefferson City, told the Register that what happens in Missouri on Election Day is likely to have an effect on other states’ abortion-related policy changes going forward. “If Missouri can overturn a pro-abortion constitutional amendment, then that will give hope to other states that have also had to deal with these initiative petitions and have pro-abortion amendments in their state constitutions,” Deacon Lee said. ... (𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆) ncregister.com/news/mckeown-…