Jefferson City, Missouri - Republican state lawmakers in Missouri on Wednesday approved a new referendum in a bid to undo an abortion rights amendment passed by voters last November.

Missouri voters in November approved an amendment to codify abortion rights until fetal viability in the state constitution.

Six months later, Republicans in the state legislature are seeking to reverse that progress with the authorization of a new referendum to ban most abortions, with exceptions in cases of rape or incest up to 12 weeks of pregnancy.

The measure – House Joint Resolution No. 73 – also prohibits gender-affirming care for minors, which is already banned in the state.

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The new amendment is set to go for a vote in November 2026, unless Republican Governor Mike Kehoe calls a special election sooner than that.

"Anti-abortion politicians just directly attacked the will of MO voters and passed HJR 73–another abortion ban. The resolution will now be sent to the people for a vote with ballot language that never mentions that the resolution will reinstate an abortion ban," Abortion Action Missouri posted on Instagram.

"We know intimately that this is incredibly difficult news. The anti-abortion supermajority has been relentless in their efforts to dismantle everything we’ve worked for and won, but if we know one thing about Missourians, it’s this: we are used to fighting back, and now, more than ever, we’re prepared to show up."

Abortion Action Missouri and other advocates are planning to rally in support of abortion rights at the State Capitol on Thursday, May 15, at 11:30 AM.

After forcing a vote on the anti-abortion measure, the Missouri Senate gave the green light to a bill to repeal a voter-approved requirement that employers provide workers with paid sick leave.