1. United States
2. Mo.
3. Letter

I strongly oppose HJR54 (Stinnett), SJR 33 (Schnelting), SJR 25 (Coleman), SJR29 (Carter), HJR 63 (Baker), SJR55 (Trent), HJR 73 (Lewis), HJR39 (Seitz), HJR31 (Kelley), and SJR 9 (Moon). These bills are a direct assault on the will of Missouri voters and a dangerous overreach into the personal lives and medical decisions of individuals. In 2024, Missourians made their voices clear by passing a constitutional amendment to protect abortion access, recognizing that reproductive freedom is a fundamental right. These bills, however, seek to undermine that decision by imposing extreme restrictions on abortion care, even in cases of rape and incest. By requiring survivors to report their trauma to law enforcement within a narrow 48-hour window and limiting abortions to just 12 weeks in such cases, they disregard the complexity of these situations and further victimizes those who have already endured unimaginable pain. Missourians have spoken: they trust individuals to make their own health care decisions, and these bills blatantly ignore that mandate. Moreover, these bills go beyond abortion restrictions, targeting essential health care services for transgender individuals by banning the use of surgeries, hormones, or drugs for gender-affirming care. This provision is not only cruel but also medically irresponsible, as it denies evidence-based care to vulnerable populations, including minors. The broad language and punitive measures, such as revoking medical licenses, will have a chilling effect on health care providers, discouraging them from offering necessary care out of fear of legal repercussions. This is not about protecting lives; it is about controlling them. Missourians value personal freedom and the right to make private medical decisions without government interference, and these bills fly in the face of those principles. Finally, the prohibition on public funding for abortions disproportionately harms low-income individuals, effectively denying them access to critical reproductive health care. This is not just an attack on abortion rights; it is an attack on equity and justice. Missourians have already rejected this kind of government overreach by enshrining reproductive rights in the state constitution. These bills are a step backward, a betrayal of the trust voters placed in their government to protect their freedoms. We must stand firm in opposition to these bills and uphold the will of the people, ensuring that every Missourian has the right to make their own health care decisions without fear or coercion. These bills have no place in our state, and we must reject them unequivocally.