Green: Vote 'no' on Amendment 3

By Lucas Green

In less than a week you are being asked to decide on Amendment 3, an initiative being marketed as a simple protection of reproductive rights. But let’s look deeper at current Missouri law and at what Amendment 3 contains to understand why voting “No” is crucial for the value of life, protection of women, and the democratic process.

Currently, Missouri allows medically necessary abortions and does not have a “Total Ban on Abortion” as claimed. Missouri law permits abortion in three cases: to save the mother’s life, if an urgent medical condition requires it, or if delaying would cause harm to a major bodily function. Likewise, Missouri law defines “abortion” as ending a pregnancy while the child is still alive, so all procedures after fetal death are not legally abortions, though they may be labeled as such in medical records. This distinction is confusing and is being misrepresented. Current law protects both mothers and physicians in grave circumstances.

Amendment 3 would dramatically change Missouri law by allowing elective abortions throughout all nine months of pregnancy. While the proponents claim it would permit regulation after fetal viability, the language specifies that any regulations must be in the “least restrictive” form and requires exemptions. The phrasing is crafted to effectively block Missouri from enacting regulations. Regulations are essential to prevent elective, late-term and partial-birth abortions where the child feels the pain, which almost all Missourians oppose.

Another serious concern with Amendment 3 is the complete lack of parental notification requirements. This amendment grants abortion rights to everyone, including minors. Any girl could undergo an abortion without her parents’ knowledge or consent, and anyone assisting would be protected legally. Imagine a 15-year-old child, carrying the weight of this decision, without parental support or guidance, or even left susceptible to the manipulation of the father or worse, her abuser. Regulations for minors exist to protect them and to allow those who love them to help. This amendment would undermine parents’ ability to support and protect their daughters.

Finally, vague, open-ended language, terms like “least restrictive,” create legal gray areas that invite years of court battles and interpretation by judges, rather than democratic decision-making by Missourians. Furthermore, tens of millions of dollars from outside Missouri are funding the "yes" campaign, promoting external agendas over local values. Voting "no" keeps Missouri’s laws in place, ensuring that Missouri citizens, not outside groups or courts, retain control over our own social values.

Voting "no" on Amendment 3 is essential to uphold Missouri’s commitment to protecting the life, health, and well-being of women, girls, and babies. Current laws already allow necessary abortions to save a mother’s life or prevent irreversible harm, while providing legal protection for both patients and doctors. In contrast, Amendment 3 would permit elective abortion throughout all nine months, weaken regulations on late-term procedures, remove parental notification, and permanently hand decision-making over to the courts. A “no” vote safeguards Missouri’s common-sense laws that respect life, health, and family rights, keeping these vital decisions in the hands of Missourians.

Lucas Green is a resident of Jackson.