Missouri lawmakers prefile legislation aimed at restricting abortion following passage of Amendment 3

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

State Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman (R-Arnold) prefiled a proposed anti-abortion amendment following the passage of Amendment 3.

Members of the Missouri Legislature began prefiling bills on Dec. 1.

According to a Tuesday press release, Coleman's Amendment SJR 25 titled "Protecting Life with Compassion and Clarity," if approved by voters would ban all abortions except in cases of medical emergencies or rape. It also stipulates that "No gender transition procedure shall be performed upon a child."

This comes after voters approved Amendment 3 on Nov. 5, which overturns the state's abortion ban and allow access until fetal viability. Republican lawmakers during the recent election cycle asserted that Amendment 3 would have allowed sex change operations on minors, a claim that has been disputed by legal experts.

A hearing is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Wednesday in Kansas City after Planned Parenthood filed a lawsuit in November to begin restoring abortion access to Missourians.

The lawsuit asks for a preliminary injunction that blocks the enforcement of the following restrictions:

• The first total abortion ban triggered by the Dobbs decision;
• Cascading gestational age bans;
• Bans that stigmatize and limit abortion care based on a patient’s reason for having an abortion;
• Hospital admitting privileges requirements;
• Biased and medically inaccurate counseling requirements;
• Forced delay periods that require patients to make multiple trips to a clinic for care;
• A ban on the delivery of medication abortion by telemedicine;
• A physician-only law that prevents qualified medical professionals from providing abortion care; and
• Criminal penalties for abortion providers

It also requests that Amendment 3 take effect on Thursday.

State Rep. Brian Seitz (R-Branson) pre-filed House Bill 194 on Monday, which aims at banning abortion after a physician finds a fetal heartbeat. It would also require that physicians provide the date, time and results of the test.

On the other side of the political aisle, State Sen. Stephen Webber (D-Columbia) also prefiled Senate Bill 241 that would overturn laws that restrict abortions after 8,14,18 or 20 weeks, and overturn "the prohibition for certain reasons, such as sex, race, or a diagnosis of Down Syndrome, and the requirement that physicians performing abortions have clinical privileges at a nearby hospital."

If the restrictions are lifted, the Columbia Planned Parenthood, Central Western Health Center in St. Louis and the Midtown Kansas City location would all be allowed to begin performing abortions on Thursday.