Abortion advocates in four states have gotten constitutional amendments on their ballots, and similar attempts are under way in another 11 states. In some cases, the proposals call for legalizing abortion up to birth.
Dr. Michael New of the Charlotte Lozier Institute is not too concerned, even though polling seemingly indicates those propositions have a large lead.
"I am encouraging pro-life people not to despair, because the relative statistic at this point isn't the lead; it's level of support," he explains. "When you look at level of support, you do find that pro-life victories are within reach."
In Florida, for example, the abortion ballot proposal needs 60% to win, but the average level of support there, according to six polls, is roughly 56%.
The situation may be different in Arizona, but only 53% support South Dakota's abortion ballot proposition, and only about 44% support Missouri's.
Missouri
In The Show-Me State, nearly all abortions are illegal, thanks to a trigger law that went into effect almost immediately after the Supreme Court's 2022 ruling overturning Roe vs. Wade.
In January 2023, however, pro-abortion Christian, Jewish, and Unitarian clergy filed suit against it, claiming the restrictions of House Bill 126 violate their religious beliefs and infringe on the state Constitution's Establishment Clause.
"The abortion restrictions do not prevent anyone from practicing their faith freely," asserts Susan Klein of Missouri Right to Life. "Missouri law is based on fact and science. A baby begins at conception, and that's what our Attorney General Andrew Bailey (R) defended in this case and … every time an issue regarding abortion comes up."
A circuit judge has now dismissed the lawsuit, and with the pro-life law upheld, Klein says the state is fully prepared to help give women facing unplanned pregnancies much better choices than abortion.
"Missouri cares about women and the preborn baby," she tells AFN. "We passed many programs like Alternatives to Abortion [and] Show Me Healthy Babies to help women. These programs give women and families an opportunity to choose life for their preborn baby."
Texas
Cities and counties in West Texas have been passing ordinances that bar abortion and prevent their roads from being used for abortion trafficking.
As AFN recently reported, the Amarillo City Council tabled a "sanctuary city for the unborn" ordinance late last month, asking the petition committee to amend the item regarding the transportation of a person through the city to receive an abortion, as it was considered unenforceable.
By a vote of 4-1, the conservative city's leaders have now rejected the proposal.
Mark Lee Dickson of Sanctuary Cities for the Unborn says it might have passed if Mayor Cole Stanley (R) had not switched sides.
"Why was he siding with a pilot for Elevated Access, who is also a doctor in Amarillo?" the pro-lifer wonders. "Why was he siding with Jane's Due Process? Why was he siding with an assistant district attorney who still works for Planned Parenthood?"
Since a successful citizen petition drive placed issue before city council, the necessary groundwork has been laid to get the ordinance on the ballot in November. And Dickson thinks that is "very likely" to happen.
The initiating committee should announce a decision on that soon.
Agreeing with AG Bailey's assertion that "our children are worth the fight," Dr. New concludes that pro-life victories simply depend on whether pro-life voters show up and vote for life.
