State Supreme Court Rejects Ballot Measure on Abortion

Republicans in Missouri are surely feeling a bit deflated today after a ballot measure has been tossed by the state Supreme Court.

The court rejected an abortion measure that would have enshrined abortion protections into the state’s constitution.

The court sided with a lower court ruling that claimed the measure was “replete with politically partisan language.”

That Would Be a No

Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft had submitted several summaries of the ballot measure that is backed by the American Civil Liberties Union.

Ashcroft submitted 11 different summaries, but they were apparently over the top, according to the court.

The measures addressed issues such as “fetal viability” and longer periods for abortion to remain legal.

Ashcroft stated that if the ballot measures pass, they would "nullify longstanding Missouri law protecting the right to life, including but not limited to partial-birth abortion.”

Ashcroft was clearly upset that the court rejected his wording, stating, “We stand by our language — it fairly and accurately reflects the scope and magnitude of each petition.

“My responsibility as secretary of state is to make sure the people of Missouri have ballot language that they can understand and trust. If these petitions make it to the ballot, the people will decide. I will continue to do everything in my power to make sure Missourians know the truth.”

An example of the language used by Ashcroft is “unborn child,” which somehow was deemed to be highly partisan by the court.

Missouri is among the states where abortion has been made illegal, save an exception where a “serious risk of substantial and irreversible physical impairment of a major bodily function” to the mother is present.

There are additional measures currently in the petition to add to the ballot, including a measure that would allow abortion through week 12 as well as one that would make abortion legal up to week 24.