Cole County judge strikes down language in 2026 reproductive rights ballot issue

Matthew Sanders

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Cole County judge on Friday ruled that language for a measure placed on the November 2026 ballot by Republican legislators was unconstitutional, ordering the state to go back to the drawing board.

Judge Daniel Green ruled in favor of Anna Fitz-James in her lawsuit against Secretary of State Denny Hoskins, Senate President Pro Tem Cindy O’Laughlin, House Speaker Jonathan Patterson and Moberly-area Sen. Ed Lewis. Fitz-James sued in July, claiming on three separate counts that the language approved by the Missouri General Assembly did not comply with constitutional requirements.

The ballot issue would roll back protections in Amendment 3, which was approved in November 2024 with 51.6% of the vote.

Green sided with Hoskins and legislators on the first count. But he ruled on the other two that the ballot language was “insufficient and unfair.”

The judge agreed with Fitz-James that the ballot language failed to alert voters to what the amendment would change in the constitution.

ORDER AND PARTIAL JUDGMENTDownload

The ruling now sends the issue back to Hoskins, who is charged by state law with drafting a new, sufficient and fair summary statement, Green wrote. A new statement is due to the court within seven days of Friday’s order and the case remains open, Green wrote.

Fitz-James is represented by the ACLU and other groups.

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