Missouri judge rules state's abortion ban is unenforceable after constitutional amendment
Source: PBS
Dec 20, 2024 7:48 PM EST
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A judge ruled Friday that Missouri’s near-total abortion ban is unenforceable under a new constitutional amendment, ensuring abortion will be legal in the state.
Jackson County Circuit Court Judge Jerri Zhang issued an order blocking the state’s strict abortion law after a new abortion-rights constitutional amendment recently took effect.
Missouri is one of five states where voters approved ballot measures in the 2024 general election to add the right to an abortion to their state constitutions. The Missouri amendment does not specifically override any laws. Instead, advocates must ask courts to knock down bans they believe are now unconstitutional.
Zhang’s order is temporary, but it signals that she’s likely to find the ban unconstitutional after the lawsuit that abortion-rights supporters filed plays out.
Spokespeople for Planned Parenthood, the American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri and Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment Friday.........................................
Read more: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/missouri-judge-rules-states-abortion-ban-is-unenforceable-after-constitutional-amendment
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Rachel Sweet, campaign manager for Missourians for Constitutional Freedom
joins a rally in support of Amendment 3 in Missouri
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