JEFFERSON CITY, MO — The Missouri Court of Appeals ruled that ballot language describing a proposed constitutional amendment that would ban abortion “fail(ed) to sufficiently advise voters” of the proposed amendment’s fallout. The ruling highlights that anti-abortion politicians continue to try to deceive voters as they work to ban abortion and take away Missourians’ right to make their own health care decisions.
In 2024, Missouri became the first state in the nation to end a total abortion ban at the ballot box, when voters approved the fundamental right to reproductive freedom – including access to abortion care, prenatal care, childbirth, postpartum care, birth control, miscarriage care, and respectful birthing conditions – in the state constitution.
But anti-abortion politicians don’t care what the people voted for, they want to overrule them. That’s why these politicians have forced another vote in 2026 to bring back the abortion ban and take away the constitutional freedom for Missouri families to make personal health care decisions for themselves. Those politicians know Missourians support the freedom to make their own health care decisions, so they are using deceptive tactics and language designed to confuse voters.
On Thursday, the Missouri Court of Appeals ruled that ballot language written by politicians to describe a new proposed constitutional amendment “fail(ed) to sufficiently advise voters” that the proposed amendment would repeal and replace the fundamental right to reproductive freedom Missouri voters passed in 2024.
The Court wrote and certified new ballot language that makes clear that politicians are seeking to overturn the 2024 voter-approved right to reproductive freedom. The legal challenge to the deceiving ballot language, brought by the ACLU of Missouri and Stinson LLP on behalf of Dr. Anna Fitz-James, is a victory for pro-abortion advocates in Missouri.
Stop The Ban Missouri, the coalition of grassroots Missouri organizations committed to defending Missourians’ rights and freedom, released the following statement:
“The Court found what we all know to be true: politicians are trying to deceive voters as they work to ban abortion, overturn the will of the people, and take away our right to make our own health care decisions.
“This ruling is a victory for every Missourian who believes in transparency and in honoring the will of the people.
“We know that politicians will continue to try to deceive voters. So let’s be very clear: this proposed amendment is an abortion ban that takes away Missourians’ right to make health care decisions for themselves.
“No matter how much politicians lie and deceive, we’re going to keep building the grassroots coalition that tells the truth about this abortion ban that takes away Missourians’ fundamental freedom to make their own health care decisions.”
About Stop The Ban Missouri
Stop The Ban Missouri is a coalition of grassroots Missouri organizations committed to defending Missourians’ rights and freedoms. The coalition includes Abortion Action Missouri, the ACLU of Missouri, Action St. Louis, Beacon Reproductive Health Network, Planned Parenthood Great Plains Votes, Planned Parenthood Great Rivers Action, PROMO Missouri, and the Fairness Project.