Reproductive rights advocates in Missouri are facing a legal battle as the state’s new constitutional amendment granting the right to an abortion goes into effect. The amendment allows lawmakers to restrict abortion after fetal viability, with exceptions for the life or health of the pregnant person. The term “viability” is used by health care providers to assess the potential survival of a fetus outside the womb.
Missouri’s Attorney General Andrew Bailey, an abortion opponent, has issued an opinion stating that most abortions will be legal under the new amendment. However, Bailey’s office is still fighting for a ban on most abortions after viability, as well as other regulations that Planned Parenthood argues have severely limited access to abortion in the state.
Protesters on both sides of the abortion debate gathered outside the courthouse during a hearing on the issue. Anti-abortion protesters knelt in prayer wearing tape over their mouths reading “life,” while advocates called for the overturning of restrictive abortion laws.
The outcome of the legal battle remains uncertain as the judge considers a request for a preliminary injunction. Reproductive rights advocates argue that ensuring access to abortion is a matter of critical care for Missouri residents, while abortion opponents maintain that laws regulating the procedure are necessary to protect childbirth rights.
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