With information comes empowerment

The petition to add the Missouri Right to Reproductive Freedom Amendment to November’s ballot is nearing its deadline. By May 5th, signature gatherers must have 171,000 valid signatures for this amendment to be placed on the ballot this fall.

At My Life Clinic, we believe that with accurate information comes empowerment! 

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 concerns

Again, 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 sign

When 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.