Poll shows Missouri voters back abortion ban, but value abortion rights. Why" [View all]

Source: Kansas City Star

The poll results could serve as a warning sign for abortion rights supporters, who have long attacked the ballot measure as misleading. In addition to the abortion ban, the measure also purports to ban gender-affirming care for minors, which is currently illegal under state law. Missouri's ban on cross-sex hormones and puberty blockers for minors expires next year, but the House passed a bill that would extend the ban indefinitely. Missouri lawmakers permanently banned gender transition surgeries for minors in 2023. Steve Rogers, an associate professor of political science at Saint Louis University who directed the poll, said the ban on gender-affirming care is the likely explanation for the respondents' support of the proposed abortion ban. The responses to the poll's questions about abortion haven't meaningfully changed since a majority of voters legalized access in 2024. "What I find is that if I change their positions on gender affirming care, specifically hormone therapy and gender affirming surgery, that does more to change the probability that they're going to vote for or against Amendment 3 than the abortion variables," Rogers said.


Read more: https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article315072936.html