Missourians pack hearing to oppose another vote on abortion rights

By Shane LaGesse and Fletcher Mantooth, Missouri News Network

JEFFERSON CITY — Missourians packed a House hearing room Tuesday to debate with Republican lawmakers a topic many thought was decided in 2024: reproductive rights.
Last November, voters passed Amendment 3, which enshrined abortion access and other reproductive care into the Missouri Constitution.
Since its passage, Republican lawmakers have promised to restrict the scope and ease of this access.
House Joint Resolution 54, the subject of the hearing, would ask voters to ban abortion in Missouri except in cases of medical emergency, fetal anomaly, rape or incest.

In the hearing room, it was a sea of purple “Abortion Action” shirts, and people in opposition of the bill overwhelming outnumbered those testifying in support.
As the hearing went on over three hours, opponents to the resolution reiterated feeling that the bill ignored Missouri voters.

“Amendment 3 passed,” said Jess Piper, who spoke in opposition. “There is no reason I had to drive eight hours round trip to testify against abortion restriction. Why can’t you just listen to the will of the people?”

Supporters of the resolution argued Amendment 3 contained misleading language that deceived voters and that the resolution would be a chance for voters to reconsider their decision. If the resolution is passed by the legislature, the abortion rights question would be added to the ballot in the 2026 general election.
“I think the other side spent a whole lot of money in Missouri to deceive Missourians, and I don’t think a lot of people, based on our conversations, knew exactly what they were voting for,” said Susan Klein, who spoke on behalf of Missouri Right for Life.

Some supporters also spoke about the bill as a means of refining the language or effect of Amendment 3.
“I think we need to give them a truthful way to make sure that what they voted on in November is what they’re going to get by the end product,” said Rep. Jamie Gregg, R-Ozark.
But resolution opponents dismissed this logic repeatedly, insisting that Missourians had spoken.

“Missourians voted yes on Amendment 3, and the majority of Missourians chose voting to remove politicians from a very personal medical decision,” said Lori Rooney, an opponent of the bill.
The resolution would also prohibit minors from accessing gender-affirming care, including gender-transition surgery and puberty blockers.
The resolution’s sponsor, Rep. Melanie Stinnett, R-Greene County, told the Missourian last week that the language was included because “the goal, and the language, is to protect those that are most vulnerable.”
Opponents to the resolution disagreed with the inclusion of this language, arguing that it does not relate subject of reproduction.
“This has nothing to do with trans kids,” said Kendan Elliott, who testified in opposition. “(It) is really about access to health care, and one that 1,538,600 of the constituents in this state have voted to say that they supported: Amendment 3.”

Two identical pieces of legislation addressing abortion were heard earlier Tuesday before the House Health and Mental Health Committee. House Bill 195 and 1119 are titled the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act and caused heated inquiry from committee members.
According to the bills’ sponsors Rep. Brian Sietz, R-Branson, and Rep. Holly Jones, R-Eureka, this act would provide the same protections to “abortion survivors” as any other prematurely born child. Essentially, the same lifesaving care would be provided to a prematurely born infant regardless if the birth was the result of an attempted abortion.
Committee member Rep. Greg Bush, D-Columbia, vehemently voiced his concern for how the bill could affect health care professionals. Bush mentioned during testimony he is a registered nurse, and he is concerned for the civil suits that could result in this action.
“What your bill is doing is going to cause great harm to people going through horrible situations,” said Rep. Jo Doll, D-St. Louis, while questioning Jones on abortion terminology. “I don’t want to hear anymore.”
The bill would also mandate reporting if a fetus is delivered after an attempted abortion, making Missouri an additional state to join eight others with similar legislation.

Hannah Taylor was a contributing reporter.