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Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft has filed an appeal to the Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District, arguing “The circuit court erred in concluding that the Secretary of State’s summary statements were unfair and insufficient, in determining the measures’ central features, and in writing entirely new summary-statement language instead of performing minimal revisions to any language deemed unfair and insufficient.”
Background: Secretary of State John R. Ashcroft certified official ballot titles pursuant to Missouri law (RSMo Section 116.180) for six pro-abortion ballot initiatives proposed by Plaintiff Dr. Anna Fitz-James. Plaintiff Fitz-James filed six lawsuits—one for each initiative petition—under RSMo Section 116.190 claiming that the Secretary of State’s truthful summary statements, which form part of the official ballot titles, are unfair and insufficient. The circuit court consolidated the cases into the lead case number, 23AC-CC03167. After a bench trial on stipulated facts and exhibits, the circuit court concluded that the summary statements were “unfair” and “insufficient” and rewrote new summary-statement language that supported the arguments of the ACLU/pro-abortion petitioner.
Missouri Right to Life applauds Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft for fighting for truthful and honest ballot summary language outlining the dangerous, unregulated and unrestricted consequences these pro-abortion Initiative Petitions (IPs) would have so Missouri voters will have the accurate information they need should the issue be presented for voters to decide on the November 2024 ballot.
These pro-abortion IPs would enshrine abortion as a “right” in our Missouri Constitution, nullify Missouri’s longstanding pro-life laws, allow abortion all 9 months from conception to live birth, and potentially include tax-payer funding of abortion. Missouri Right to Life is at the forefront of the battle to Keep Missouri Pro-Life. Updates and information on our efforts is available at: https://missourilife.org/the-battle-to-keep-mo-pro-life/
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