JEFFERSON CITY, MO –– Today, Missouri voters rejected Amendment 3, a measure that would have repealed the abortion rights protections they approved in 2024 and banned most abortions in the state. It’s the second time in two years that Missourians have voted to keep abortion legal in the state.
“Missourians said it in 2024, and they said it again tonight: they don’t want politicians making their medical decisions. The people who tried to overturn that result were betting voters weren’t paying attention,” said Gowri Buddiga, Campaign Director, Free & Just. “They were.”
In response to the defeat of Amendment 3, patient advocates and providers from across Missouri released the following statements:
“Missourians voted in 2024 to put reproductive decisions back with women and their doctors. This year politicians asked them to take it back. They said no, louder,” said Dr. Jennifer Smith, an OB/GYN based in St. Louis.
“Complications in my second pregnancy sent me all the way to Washington, D.C. for care. I was lucky to have doctors who got me there. Not every woman in Missouri is,” said Erika, a mother from Kansas City. “I only felt safe trying for another baby after Missourians protected abortion rights in 2024. Watching that almost get stripped away was terrifying. Tonight I can breathe again.”
If you are interested in connecting with patients, providers, or advocates about what this election means for reproductive freedom and what’s next, please contact Kelly Rimar (kelly@freeandjust.us).
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Free & Just is fighting to stop attacks on reproductive freedom and rights. We’re working with people across the country to share real stories to show the devastating consequences of attacks on our reproductive freedom. We all deserve the right to control our bodies and lives. That’s why we’re sharing our stories, raising our voices, and fighting for our future.