WASHINGTON (AP) — Missouri voters approved a measure on Tuesday that enshrines abortion rights in the state constitution and replaces a near-total ban on the procedure.
The measure guarantees a person’s right to get an abortion and make other reproductive health decisions. It opens the door to legal challenges of a ban on most abortions that took effect immediately after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022.
The measure made the ballot after an intense legal fight led by anti-abortion advocates who sought to prevent a vote.
The SC said states should be able to decide because there was no federal legislation one way or the other. Once a federal ban is in place, the states will lose the ability to decide for themselves.