Missouri and South Dakota May See Abortion Rights on Ballot After Successful Signature Campaigns

In a definitive response to restrictive abortion laws, Missouri and South Dakota are poised to place constitutional rights to abortion on the ballot this year, following robust signature-gathering campaigns. In Missouri, abortion rights activists have submitted a staggering 380,159 signatures, well over twice the required 172,000, to prompt a ballot amendment that could counteract some of the nation's most stringent abortion bans. Similarly, South Dakota's petition also surpassed the necessary signature threshold.

These efforts draw inspiration from the success in other states where, in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, all seven ballot measures for abortion rights passed. Currently, about 10 states are on track to secure or are actively collecting signatures for ballot positions on abortion rights, reflecting a growing national movement.

Particularly in swing states like Arizona and Nevada, Democrats are rallying around this issue, hoping it will bolster support for President Joe Biden's potential reelection bid. The stakes are high in Missouri and South Dakota, where current laws permit abortions only to save the life of the pregnant woman, with no exceptions for r*** or i*****.

Despite Missouri's Republican leadership's attempts to raise the bar for passing future ballot amendments and actively block the abortion ballot measure for over a year, surveys post-Roe indicate a majority of Missouri voters support legal abortions in all or most cases. This suggests a favorable outcome for the ballot measure, which would allow individuals to make reproductive health care decisions, including abortion, with potential regulations after fetal viability.

However, in Missouri, the legislature is considering a vote to alter the threshold for ballot amendment success. Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft faced legal challenges after attempting to modify the abortion ballot measure's wording to emphasize potential risks of unregulated abortions.

South Dakota faces its unique challenges as Republican legislators recently passed a law enabling individuals to retract support for ballot measure petitions. Nonetheless, the group Dakotans for Health obtained around 55,000 signatures, exceeding the 35,000 required for their ballot measure. Despite this, major abortion rights groups like Planned Parenthood have withheld support, fearing the amendment could lead to restrictive abortion laws.

The proposed amendment in South Dakota seeks to prohibit state interference with first-trimester abortions and allows for limited regulation in the second trimester, with a potential ban in the third trimester except when the woman's life or health is in danger. However, a South Dakota survey revealed that less than a majority, 47%, support legal abortion in all or most cases, reflecting the contentious nature of the issue in certain states.

Conservative Bias:

Once again, the radical left is trying to undermine the sanctity of life by pushing their extreme abortion agenda, ignoring the moral fabric of our great nation. In Missouri and South Dakota, they've hoodwinked the public into signing petitions to allow the murder of unborn children, all under the guise of "women's rights." It's clear that these activists will stop at nothing to erode our traditional values, even if it means exploiting the democratic process to impose their will on the majority who cherish life. Despite the heroic efforts of conservative leaders to uphold the law and protect the innocent, these leftists are determined to make abortion-on-demand the law of the land, t****ling on states' rights and the voices of the pro-life Americans.

Liberal Bias:

In a powerful rebuke to the oppressive, anti-choice regime of conservative extremists, the people of Missouri and South Dakota are rising up to demand the protection of reproductive rights. These grassroots movements are a beacon of hope against the dark tide of regressive policies that have stripped women of their autonomy. The right-wing politicians, in their relentless crusade to control women's bodies, have shown a flagrant disregard for democracy and human rights. Fortunately, the people have spoken, and they're fighting back against the draconian laws that have no place in our society. It's time for the conservatives to listen to the majority who believe in a woman's right to choose and stop their authoritarian assault on our freedoms.