Arizona, Missouri Approve Abortion Measures on 2024 Ballots
By: Nikki McCann Ramirez
remember when state republicans used to put person-hood legislation on the ballots to turn out the thumper vote? ha ha ha, yeah...
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Arizona and Missouri will join a growing group of states holding ballot measures this November to codify the right to abortion into state law.
On Monday, Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes certified that advocates had gathered 577,971 signatures in favor of the Arizona For Abortion Access Act, a proposed amendment that would certify the right to abortion into the state's constitution. On Tuesday, Missouri approved a similar initiative that — if passed in November — would reverse the state's all-but blanket ban on abortion.
The two states join Nevada, Arkansas, Colorado, South Dakota, Florida, and Maryland in putting abortion referendums in front of voters on Election Day.
In the aftermath of the Supreme Court overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022,state-level ballot measures seeking to enshrine the right to reproductive choice have been overwhelmingly successful — and have been a driver of Democratic turnout in midterm and off-cycle elections. In California, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Montana, Ohio, and Vermont, voters have affirmed their right to reproductive freedom.
"This is a huge win for Arizona voters who will now get to vote YES on restoring and protecting the right to access abortion care, free from political interference, once and for all," Arizona for Abortion Access Coalition Campaign Manager Cheryl Bruce said Monday.
"The decision to have an abortion is personal, private, and must be left up to patients and their families. But here in Missouri, the government is making that decision for us by force," Margot Riphagen — Vice President of External Affairs, Advocates of Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri — said during an online press conference on Tuesday. "This ballot measure is our opportunity to vote for reproductive freedom, and this certification is one step closer to building meaningful abortion access for Missourians. This is an opportunity to put the power back into the hands of the people."
Dr. Selina Sandoval, Associate Medical Director at Planned Parenthood Great Plains, added that "this moment is not an end point, but a beginning. We must continue to advocate for policies that protect access to care and stand firm against those that seek to undermine it. We have a lot of work ahead, but today is a day we celebrate a crucial step forward."
Tori Schafer, Deputy Director for Policy and Campaigns of the ACLU of Missouri, indicated that the coalition was prepared to counter any legal challenges to the ballot measure. Given the overwhelming success of past measures in other states, anti-abortion groups have leveled challenges against these sorts of initiatives. In Arizona, Republican lawmakers in the legislature have signaled that they will approve an opposing ballot measure restricting reproductive rights in the state.
The voter referendums on reproductive freedom are not the only way the fight over abortion rights will affect the 2024 election. Republican election conspiracy theorist and failed gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake is locked in an intense fight with Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) for the Senate seat that will be vacated by Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.), and Gallego has made Lake's support of hardline anti-abortion policies a central component of his campaign against her. Gallego cheered the news about the abortion initiative on Monday. "YES. One step closer to protecting abortion rights in AZ," he wrote on X.
In Missouri, Republican Sen. Josh Hawley is seeking a second term in Congress. His 2024 Democratic opponent, Lucas Kunce, has hammered Hawley as an anti-abortion zealot who is out of touch with the average voter. Kunce, too, celebrated the news of Missouri's initiative.
"Democrats, Republicans, and Independents came together across our state to take back power over their lives and bodies from control-freak politicians, thanks to the hard work of Missourians for Constitutional Freedom," Kunce said in May after the referendum coalition announced it had secured the necessary signatures to submit the ballot measure. "See you in November, Josh Hawley."
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gee, what a conundrum for women republicans... /s
Every time it has been put to the voters, forced birthers have lost. Hopefully that trend will continue.
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Various issues may help or hurt either party.
But from everything I've seen so far, a womans' right to choose her own health care is probly the most powerful issue Democrats have to stop the BGRs ("Big Government Republicans") from meddling in our lives!
Larry Hogan is running for senate I believe. I don't trust him.
... other rwnj's have to goosestep with them or get their asses kicked by them.
Yeah, I don't respect spineless weasels
Good. They should vote to remove some "control freak politicians" while they are in the voting booth!
We here at JBB Net are calling Arizona and all its Electoral College votes going to Harris - Walz...
And, now even Missouri may be in play for 2024!
trump has lost ground in north carolina and florida too ...
Goooood!
Damn! Could Trump turn Florida purple?
I don't think the 8th dwarf in the guvner's mansion needs any help...
8th dwarf? I thought dopey was the 4th dwarf...
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he's sleazy, sneezy's italian cousin...
My mistake.
I thought it was greasy ...
Hope it passes
Abortion restrictions loose elections
they'll pass, and they will also lead to the electorate remembering which candidates they're looking at on the ballot are opposed.
This is a good thing and I plan on voting yes in November.
By the way, this is exactly what was expected when SCOTUS overturned Roe v Wade. Returning control of this issue to the states and by such to the voters in the states. In government it just takes some time to get change thru.
federal laws supersede state laws and there is a movement to ban abortion nationwide. apparently after 165 years some people have forgotten what happens when religious dogma is used to justify the restriction of basic individual liberty to a specific group of americans.
A smaller group of Republicans has been talking about this for quite a while now. It's been a wish-list for a group of people for longer than I've been alive. So what?
In order for this to happen, a majority of like-minded Republicans must win the majority in the House, they have to win the majority in the Senate AND a sympathetic to the cause Republican must win the White House. Do you see that happening any time soon?
Right now there's not a majority of Republicans in the House alone who would vote for a total abortion ban as they know it would hurt their chances at re-election. So the odds of a federal ban on abortion is exceedingly low. You know what else seems to have been forgotten? Common sense.
It's bullshit sending it to the states. Should be federal - no restrictions nationwide
yeah, so what if 51% of americans now have less rights than you, because of religious dogma.
hopefully not in my lifetime...
you mean like the republicans in congress that have openly opposed trump so far?
you mean like +/-26% of americans imposing their dogma upon +/-65% of americans opposed to it, which includes their constituents. that kind of common sense?
Agreed. Roe/Casey made the process faster and easier by applying a standard to all states, instead of individual states doing the same thing one by one. Meanwhile, women still suffer as a result, especially in the more restrictive states.
We all have the same rights because abortion is not a right. But in speaking as if it is a right, your numbers are not correct. According to PolitiFact, 30% of women at reproductive age live in states that have a total abortion ban, the number grows closer to 40% when adding states that include a 12 to 15 week restriction.
PolitiFact FL: How many women live in states with abortion bans? Fact-checking VP Harris | Health News Florida (usf.edu)
It's happened several times in the recent past so it could happen again. I don't expect to see it in this Novembers election but I would not discount seeing it again in the near future.
To be fair, we've just completed the primary election phase and Trump did show very convincingly that his supporters held the majority early on so it made a lot of sense that Republicans who were interested in winning their primary would not oppose Trump as that would risk their very re-election chances. As much as I may hate politicians, I won't say they are suicidal.
Where are you pulling these numbers for and you need to drill down into what the hell dogma you are talking about. Or are these numbers similar to the 51% number you pulled in your first sentence where I showed you how wrong you were.
you've got me all wrong. it's a win/win for me. if trump gets elected and a national abortion ban becomes law, every american will know who has overstepped their boundaries and who should be held accountable for it.
I disagree with that framing of the argument. It's about the right to bodily autonomy and personal privacy. The populist reframing of conservatism on the SCOTUS had to invent a whole new legal theory to justify overturning Roe. It erodes other laws, like HIPPA that were built on the previous framework. Something some red states are already challenging.
they cannot name one state or federal law that regulates any men's health choices.
Then I guess we agree to disagree.
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The endless defense of the indefensible is so fucking tiresome.
god forbid! gotta have their erectile dysfunction medication
Now the voters have their choice.
The voters had their choice before it was 'needful' to put it to a (separate) vote. Don't want an abortion—don't have one. Simple enough and inclusive.
I agree 100%. But some people can't understand that and others feel the need to interfere. As far as I'm concerned its a medical procedure and should have never been lifted to any level above that.
How many red states had the voters decide on abortion restrictions, and how many did the old white men in power take it upon themselves?
some people can't understand that and feel the need to interfere by imposing their unwanted religious dogma upon others.
Un-wanted and un-understood. Christian god was pro abortion and even forced abortion.
I disagree-- Donald J. Trump is not "The Christian God"!!!*
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*See my comment # 5.4, below.
That action's fooling no one-- people remember who are the strong supporters of increasing Big Government's interference in our lives:
TRUMP: "I WAS THE ONE RESPONSIBLE FOR REPEALING #ROE V. WADE"
Good on MO and AZ.