Missouri’s GOP Has a New Strategy to Ban Abortion—Attack Trans Kids
Dr. Jennifer Smith remembers canvassing to overturn Missouri’s abortion ban back in 2024. Now she’s spending her weekends knocking doors in her white coat to make sure her home state doesn’t ban abortion again. Smith, an OB-GYN, had seen what happened to her patients after Roe v. Wade was overturned and a “trigger” law immediately […]
Missouri Republican strategists are pivoting their approach to banning abortion to target transgender youth. Dr. Jennifer Smith, an OB-GYN, recounted seeing patients' fears after Roe v. Wade was overturned and a ban on virtually all abortions went into effect in 2024. She noted the state's limited access to abortion care and the fact that maternal mortality rates are higher than the national average.
Despite the ban being overturned in a 2024 referendum, the legislature is now pushing for a new amendment, Amendment 3, which would ban gender-affirming care for minors. This strategy is reminiscent of the Trump 2.0 playbook, which included language in ballot measures to ban gender transition procedures for minors. Prominent figures involved in this effort include Republican Sen. Josh Hawley, his wife Erin, and Ed Martin, as well as Jamie Reed, a former clinic employee who has become a key figure in the marketing campaign for the amendment.
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