Missouri Legislature Passes Referendum Repealing Abortion Rights Amendment

Missouri's legislature has taken significant steps to repeal recent voter-approved measures concerning paid sick leave and abortion rights. On May 14, 2025, the legislature passed HB-567 to repeal the earned paid sick time statute that was set to take effect on May 1, 2025, which had been part of Proposition A passed in November 2024. This bill would also amend the minimum wage statute and exempt certain employers and workers from the paid sick time requirements. In a separate but equally impactful move, Missouri’s Republican-led legislature passed House Joint Resolution 73 to repeal Amendment 3, a constitutional amendment approved by voters in November 2024 that enshrined abortion rights, including protections for reproductive freedom and abortion access. The referendum to repeal abortion protections will appear on the 2026 ballot, potentially banning most abortions with narrow exceptions for medical emergencies, fetal anomalies, rape, or incest. These legislative actions have sparked protests and intense debate, with critics arguing they undermine voter will and reproductive rights, while supporters frame them as restoring protections for unborn life.