Read through the ballot language below, along with helpful explanations following next. If you would like, the full language of the amendment can be read HERE. ExplanationsA constitutional amendment takes precedence over other laws and could not be changed except by another constitutional amendment. This amendment would prevent government regulations such as parental consent for minors, informed consent, and safety standards for abortion procedures or patient care. "Reproductive health care" is broad and includes but is not limited to the examples given, opening the door to other agendas. Missouri's current abortion ban includes a "life of the mother" exception and does NOT regulate or prohibit procedures for ectopic pregnancies or miscarriages. This amendment is abortion on demand, as "health" encompasses any physical or mental reason, both before and after fetal viability, including late-term abortions. Current Missouri programs like "Alternatives to Abortion" and the MO Pregnancy Resource Center Tax Credit could be eliminated. Upon approval, Amendment 3 would enshrine a right to abortion through all nine months of pregnancy.We believe the implications of this amendment should be deeply alarming to both prolife and prochoice voters. What you can do now:
1. We encourage you to educate yourself and vote on November 5. A vote YES approves this amendment to protect abortion in the Missouri Constitution, and a vote NO maintains current prolife laws in our state. Click here to check your voter registration. 2. With November 5 just around the corner, we hope you'll take every opportunity to share the facts about this constitutional amendment with family and friends. 3. If you have questions or want informational flyers to distribute, email Cassidy at [email protected].
0 Comments
With May 5 just around the corner, we strongly encourage you to take every opportunity you have to share the facts about this potential amendment to family, friends, and even signature gatherers. Our concernsAgain, here are the facts: This proposed amendment will enshrine a right to abortion through all nine months of pregnancy. Upon approval, this amendment states the government has no power to restrict an abortion that a health care professional decides is “needed to protect the life or physical or mental health of the pregnant person.” The ability for a medical professional to overrule Fetal Viability restrictions based on the physical or mental health of the mother means that the right to abortion is protected from conception until live birth. Removing Missouri’s ban on abortion means that Missouri’s 52+ prolife laws will be eliminated. Among others, these laws include requirements for parental consent, health and safety standards for abortion clinics, and a requirement for the abortion clinic to show a mother her baby’s ultrasound. Missouri law currently requires health and safety standards for abortion clinics. With these laws removed, the “safe abortions” that abortion advocates describe will no longer be safe and women will lose the ability to sue for malpractice. A woman will have the right to seek out an abortion from any individual, whether medically licensed or not. If there are complications, this amendment protects any person assisting a woman in seeking out an abortion from penalty, prosecution, or adverse action, meaning there will be no right to sue an abortionist for malpractice. With parental consent eliminated, performing abortions on pregnant minors without notice to or consent from the minor’s parents will be protected. This contradicts the protections we have for children right now, involving mandatory reporting of sexual activity. Decline to signWhen you decline to sign, we recommend adding emphasis to your no. Signature gatherers and people around you need to know that you are very intentionally declining to sign this petition. Clearly stating your reason for declining will let the signature gatherer and anybody within hearing distance know your stance. For engaging further with signature gatherers, this resource created by Vitae Foundation could be useful.
If you encounter a voter who has either signed the petition in error or has changed their mind, there is still time for them to remove their signature. Find instructions for removing signatures here. Join us in praying that the proposed amendment will be kept off of Missouri’s November ballot. We’re grateful to be surrounded by a community of supporters who care as much about protecting women and children as we do.
As petitioners approach Missouri voters, we want our supporters to be fully informed. We believe there are numerous startling implications hidden in the proposed Right to Reproductive Freedom Amendment. Missouri Right to Life has published a number of resources that identify the deceptive language that supporters of this initiative are using to procure more votes in favor of this amendment. We share their concerns and want to expound upon some of them here. Below you'll find a graphic of the text that will potentially appear on November's ballot with some additional information that we think voters need to know. Abortion through all nine months of pregnancyBy emphasizing potential restrictions or bans after Fetal Viability, abortion advocates are insinuating that late-term abortions will not occur under Missouri law. In reality, this proposed amendment will enshrine a right to abortion through all nine months of pregnancy. Upon approval, this amendment states the government has no power to restrict an abortion that a health care professional decides is “needed to protect the life or physical or mental health of the pregnant person.” The ability for a medical professional to overrule Fetal Viability restrictions based on the physical or mental health of the mother means that the right to abortion is protected from conception until live birth. The implications of this should be deeply alarming to both prolife and prochoice voters. When Ohio Issue 1 was approved in November, a number of abortion advocates spoke out with their concerns. An editorial published in the Toledo Blade stated, “The Blade has always supported women’s right to an abortion. This amendment to the state constitution goes too far and should be defeated.” (Read more HERE.) Removing Missouri's 52+ Prolife LawsRemoving Missouri’s ban on abortion means that Missouri’s 52+ prolife laws will be eliminated. Among others, these laws include requirements for parental consent, health and safety standards for abortion clinics, and a requirement for the abortion clinic to show a mother her baby’s ultrasound. Missouri law currently requires health and safety standards for abortion clinics. With these laws removed, the “safe abortions” that abortion advocates describe will no longer be safe and women will lose the ability to sue for malpractice. A woman will have the right to seek out an abortion from any individual, whether medically licensed or not. If there are complications, this amendment protects any person assisting a woman in seeking out an abortion from penalty, prosecution, or adverse action, meaning there will be no right to sue an abortionist for malpractice. With parental consent eliminated, performing abortions on pregnant minors without notice to or consent from the minor’s parents will be protected. This contradicts the protections we have for children right now, involving mandatory reporting of sexual activity. Responding with truth & convictionAt the heart of the work that we do at My Life Clinic is our deep conviction that the life of every preborn baby and the life of every woman have inherent value. Abortion ends the life of a child and forever alters the life of the mother. Our organization rejoiced when Roe v Wade was overturned and as a result, we started to see more abortion-minded clients. These women and families encountered a safe space and the majority of them chose life after visiting My Life Clinic. As abortion advocates continue to fight for these “rights” to undermine the protection of preborn babies and their mothers, we’ll continue to respond with truth and conviction. We believe that when the broader implications of this amendment are identified, both prolife and prochoice voters will be opposed to the Missouri Right to Reproductive Freedom Amendment. Some action steps:
At My Life Clinic, we seek to inform, empower, and equip our clients to make life-affirming decisions. We don't tell them what to do. In this space, we want to do the same for you.
On January 18, 2024, abortion-advocates began petitioning throughout Missouri to place the Missouri Right to Reproductive Freedom Initiative on the November 4 ballot. There’s a good chance you’ve already been approached by one or more petitioners. Most of our staff and board members have been asked to sign in the past few weeks. Outside the Daniel Boone Regional Library last weekend, a petitioner asked library patrons, "Will you sign this petition to lift Missouri's ban on abortion?" As our team discussed the petition and proposed amendment, we felt a unified responsibility to be one of the voices in the conversation our community will be having over the next eight months. As pro-life and pro-woman advocates, we're deeply concerned by the potential implications of this amendment. Over the next few months, we'll be responding to the current petition and proposed amendment. We’ll be sharing in our newsletter, social media, and blog, and we encourage you to share your thoughts with us as well. Our team will also connect you with helpful articles and resources as they become available, and to start, we encourage you to read the full text of the amendment. As we discuss this petition and potential upcoming November vote, we'll do our best to inform, empower, and equip you as we all navigate the months ahead. Introducing our renewed mission & vision and the heart behind our sparkly new brand! We’re making some changes and we want our supporters to be the first to know about them! In an attempt to refresh and simplify our organization’s look, we prayerfully moved toward rebranding over the past six months. Our staff, services, and goals are not changing - we’re just sprucing up our look! Our goal in updating our brand is to ensure that the image and message we communicate to our potential clients and broader community matches the services and support we provide at My Life Clinic. From Life Network to My Life ClinicOur organization began in 1992 as Open Arms Pregnancy Center. In 2008, Open Arms became Life Network, the donor umbrella for My Life Clinic, a pregnancy resource center in Columbia, Missouri. As we launch our new look, we are merging under one name: My Life Clinic. Going forward, our client-facing website will continue as mylifeclinic.org and you’ll still find information about how to get involved with our ministry at lifenetworkfriends.com. Life Network Friends will remain our donor page domain, but the name you’ll know us as is now My Life Clinic. Our Logo Image
In contrast, our image and message is clear – a gentle picture of the strength of a mother holding her child. It conveys the message we believe: that truly empowering a woman means supporting her and coming alongside her so that she can choose life for her baby. Renewing our Mission & VisionAlong with these changes, our team took some time to update our mission and vision statements to align with the goals and values of our organization. Mission: To inform, empower, and equip our clients to make life-affirming decisions about pregnancy, sexual-health, and relationships by meeting them with Christ-like compassion. Vision: It’s our vision that Mid-Missouri would be a community that values life in all circumstances and that in turn, we would see women and families thrive. Join us!
Pray that this update will bring even more clients into My Life Clinicand increase our name recognition in the community. We pray expectantly that the Lord will continue to work through this ministry in mighty ways! |
CategoriesArchives
October 2024
|