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Missouri Appeals Court Certifies New Ballot Language for 2026 Abortion Measure

Judges certified ballot wording that explicitly states the proposal would repeal 2024 abortion protections.

Overview

  • A three-judge panel rewrote and certified the summary, directing that voters be told the measure would repeal the 2024 reproductive healthcare amendment that protected abortion through fetal viability.
  • The certified wording lists limited allowances for abortion in cases of rape or incest up to 12 weeks, medical emergencies, and fetal anomalies, and notes parental-consent requirements and a ban on gender-transition procedures for minors.
  • The court found Secretary of State Denny Hoskins’ language misleading for implying new guarantees of care and for unclear phrasing, and it ruled he will not get a third attempt under the new law.
  • Judges rejected a single-subject challenge, concluding the proposal’s restriction on gender-transition treatments for minors can be connected to reproductive health care.
  • The ruling can be appealed to the Missouri Supreme Court and is poised to frame voter understanding and further litigation before the 2026 election.