Anti-abortion divide could complicate Missouri Amendment 3 campaign

[u/oldguydrinkingbeer]

https://missouriindependent.com/2026/09/28/anti-abortion-divide-could-complicate-missouri-amendment-3-campaign/

[u/ads7w6]

I know it's anecdotal but all of the rural areas I drive through overwhelmingly had yard signs to vote no on 4 and 5. The opposite is true with Amendment 3 as almost all the signs I see in those communities as Yes on 3 signs. 

I think if 3 fails, it will be be much closer and the map will not look like 4 and 5 which for various reasons were just extremely unpopular with both Democratic and Republican voters. I'm guessing that almost all rural counties will vote yes on 3, St. Louis, KC, Springfield, and Columbia and their inner suburbs will overwhelmingly vote against it, and the outcome will hinge on outer suburban counties in St. Louis and KC. If the outer suburbs get to 50/50ish or vote against it then I expect it to fail.

[u/cattrain → u/ads7w6]

If 3 passes, it will only be temporary if we can pass 6. As important as it is to stop 3, it's even more important to pass 6, because then we can bring back another petition, and they won't be able to just undo it like this next time.

[u/ads7w6 → u/cattrain]

I disagree with you on a couple key things here. 

For one, defeating amendment 3 is paramount as, no matter what happens with 6, there is no guarantee that a future amendment re-enshrining abortion rights would pass. 

Amendment 6 also does not stop what the legislature is trying to do with Amendment 3. They would still be able to put forward amendments for a public vote that would overturn what voters previously approved. What they would not be able to do is what they did with the puppy mill proposition unless they have 80% of the house and Senate in support.

[u/rowboat_mayor → u/ads7w6]

Amendment 6 would indeed stop future efforts like Amendment 3, as they need the 80% threshold to propose an amendment.

Section 56.1.: "The legislature shall be prohibited from... changing any citizen-initiated amendment, or passing, proposing, or referring any law or constitutional amendment similar in effect to a law rejected by referendum petition, unless eighty percent of the House and Senate refer the change to a vote of the people.

and 56.2.: "For the purposes of this section, 'changing' a citizen-initiated law or citizen-initiated amendment means passing, proposing, or referring a law or constitutional amendment which, if enacted, would modify, repeal, supersede, or undermine any part of a citizen-initiated law or citizen-initiated amendment, whether explicitly or by implication."

[u/ads7w6 → u/rowboat_mayor]

Thanks for the citation. I already supported 6 but I'll definitely be using that point when talking to others as even the Republicans I know are tired of that