Ruling, which may be reviewed by appellate court, could strike reproductive rights measure off November ballot
A Missouri judge has ruled that a ballot measure asking voters whether abortion rights should be enshrined in the state constitution is invalid, potentially jeopardizing an election scheduled for November.
In a ruling issued on Friday, Cole county circuit judge Christopher Limbaugh said that the reproductive rights petition – also known as Amendment 3 – led by Missourians for Constitutional Freedom did not comply with state law.
Abortion rights activists are hopeful an appellate court could reverse Limbaugh’s decision, but for now it remains unclear whether voters will be able to decide the issue as scheduled on 5 November, the same day as the presidential election.
Citizen approved ballot measures should override any existing law, unless that was also from a ballot measure.
These measures are directly approved by the citizens instead of indirectly through elected representatives. The citizens have determined this is something they want, regardless of what politicians may have decided previously.
What do you mean unless it was also from a ballot measure? I’d say it should override laws even from a ballot measure since the new ballot measure is more recent, though in that case it would be best to communicate that the new ballot measure is overriding the old one just for clarity sake.