In a significant development for reproductive rights in Missouri, the campaign to enshrine abortion rights in the state's constitution announced that it has gathered more than 380,000 signatures within a three-month period. The coalition, known as Missourians for Constitutional Freedom, aims to place a measure on the November ballot that would legalize abortion up to the point of fetal viability.

Since June 2022, almost all abortions have been banned in Missouri, with exceptions only for medical emergencies. In order to present a citizen-led constitutional amendment to voters, the campaign had to collect signatures from 8% of voters in six out of eight congressional districts, totaling over 171,000 signatures.

The coalition successfully submitted 380,159 signatures to the Missouri Secretary of State's office, surpassing the required threshold. Although the breakdown of signatures from each district was not provided, Missourians for Constitutional Freedom claims to have obtained signatures from all counties and congressional districts across the state.

Mallory Schwarz, the executive director of Abortion Action Missouri and spokesperson for the coalition, expressed optimism, stating, "Hundreds of thousands of Missourians are now having conversations about abortion and reproductive freedom; some are sharing their own abortion stories for the very first time; and all are ready to do whatever it takes to win at the ballot box this year. Together, we are going to end Missouri's abortion ban."

This initiative, which began 90 days ago, required a substantial effort to meet the May 5 signature deadline. It is led by Abortion Action Missouri, the ACLU of Missouri, and Planned Parenthood affiliates in Kansas City and St. Louis. The coalition has managed to raise more than $5 million in donations, including a $1 million contribution from the Sixteen Thirty Fund, a liberal dark money organization based in Washington, D.C. Additionally, over 3,200 individual Missourians have contributed $1.8 million within the first three months of this year.

Over 1,800 volunteers from various parts of Missouri actively participated in collecting signatures, with impressive numbers achieved during the three weekends leading up to the deadline. Volunteers collected 18,000 signatures and visited 40,000 households during this critical period.

Dr. Iman Alsaden, chief medical officer for Planned Parenthood Great Plains and an advisor to Missourians for Constitutional Freedom, highlighted the challenges faced by abortion providers due to unclear and strict laws, especially after the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022. Alsaden remarked, "Medical decision-making is clouded by unclear and harsh laws that make providers feel scared to do the right thing."

The initiative faced delays in its early stages due to legal battles over the ballot language and internal disagreements on whether to include a viability ban. Finally, the coalition settled on language that would allow the legislature to regulate abortion after fetal viability, provided that abortion remains accessible for the preservation of the life, physical, or mental health of the pregnant person.

The announcement of the abortion campaign coincided with efforts by a separate coalition, Missouri Stands with Women, aiming to oppose the pro-choice initiative. However, Missouri Stands with Women has faced challenges in fundraising and has been outpaced by Missourians for Constitutional Freedom.

With the abortion petition now gathering considerable support, it is one of five citizen-led ballot measure campaigns expected to submit signatures to the Secretary of State's office before the deadline on Sunday. Other initiatives include the legalization of sports gambling and proposals for paid sick leave and raising the minimum wage.

It remains uncertain whether the signature verification process can be completed in time for any of these measures to appear on the August primary ballot. Regardless, the Missourians for Constitutional Freedom coalition's significant achievement in collecting over 380,000 signatures signals a strong push for reproductive rights and sets the stage for a heated debate on abortion in the coming months.