Missouri Appeals Court Says Language In Abortion Ballot Was Misleading
A panel of the Western District Court of Appeals upheld revised ballot titles in a blow to the original writer, Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, whose words describing "dangerous" abortions were "replete" with partisan language. Meanwhile in Idaho, restrictive anti-abortion laws fuel an OB-GYN exodus.
Missouri Independent:
Ashcroft Loses Appeal On 'Misleading' Abortion Ballot Language
Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft wrote ballot titles for six proposals to restore abortion rights that were “replete with politically partisan language,” a Missouri appeals court unanimously ruled Tuesday. In an expedited decision issued a day after hearing arguments, a three-judge panel of the Western District Court of Appeals upheld, with only minor revisions, the revised ballot titles written by Cole County Circuit Judge Jon Beetem. In a decision by a separate panel, the court upheld the fiscal note summary written by State Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick. Rejecting arguments from two lawmakers and an anti-abortion activist, the court said Fitzpatrick’s summary was “fair and sufficient.” (Keller, 10/31)
AP:
Missouri Appeals Court Rules Against Ballot Summary Language That Described 'Dangerous' Abortions
A Missouri appeals court ruled Tuesday against Republican-written summaries of abortion-rights ballot measures that described several proposed amendments as allowing “dangerous and unregulated abortions until live birth. ”A three-judge panel of the Western District Court of Appeals found the summaries written by Republican Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, who is running for governor in 2024, are politically partisan. (Ballentine, 10/31)
Also —
Side Effects Public Media:
Legal Abortions Didn’t Fall In The First Year After Dobbs. Expanded Out-Of-State Access And Virtual Care Played A Role
The number of legal abortions increased nationwide, a year after the U.S. Supreme Court ended the constitutional right to abortion. That’s despite many states implementing total abortion bans or restricting access to abortion at six weeks. The Society of Family Planning’s latest WeCount report found there were nearly 117,000 more legal abortions in the year after Dobbs in the 35 states where abortion remains legal. The 14 states with total or six-week abortion bans saw almost 115,00 fewer legal abortions. (Benson, 10/31)
On how anti-abortion laws are changing physicians' plans in Idaho —
CBS News:
"Hopeless And Frustrated": Idaho's Abortion Ban Is Driving OB/GYNs Out Of The State
Idaho's restrictive abortion laws are fueling an exodus of OB/GYNs, with more than half of those who specialize in high-risk pregnancies expected to leave the state by the end of the year. Doctors CBS News spoke with said treating non-viable pregnancies, in which the fetus is not expected to survive, puts them and their patients in what they call an impossible position. (Diaz, Kegu, and Novak, 10/31)
