Ashcroft appeal to move abortion ballot summary case to state Supreme Court denied
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft’s appeal to move a case involving the ballot summary on abortion to the Missouri Supreme Court was overruled and denied.
Last month, Cole County Judge Jon Beteem rewrote the ballot summary language. Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft and Attorney General Andrew Bailey sought the Appeals Court to overrule that judge's decision to rewrite the ballot language.
The initiative petition aims to codify abortion rights in the Missouri Constitution. There are 11 total rights it outlines, including access to abortion, birth control and miscarriage management. The petition also outlines parameters for each of those rights. Several versions of the petition are filed and available for viewing on the Secretary of State's website.
The Missouri Western District Appeals Court on Tuesday sided with Beetem's decision to reword the ballot summary. The court wrote in its majority opinion on Tuesday that language used in Ashcroft’s initial summary was “partisan.” Several alternative statements were approved by the court.
Ashcroft said in a Tuesday statement that he planned to appeal the decision. The motion for rehearing was filed on Thursday and denied on Friday. Ashcroft can still ask the Supreme Court to review the case.
