Amendment 3

Planned Parenthood Great Rivers President and CEO Margot Riphagen accused Bailey of “exploiting the powers of his office to play political games.”

Temporary motions have put a hold on the state’s near-total abortion ban, but a trial will need to take place to overturn the ban permanently.

Republicans say that putting a new measure on the ballot to undo Amendment 3 is a priority for this legislative session.

The move comes months after Missourians voted to enshrine abortion access in the state constitution.

The resolution, if passed by voters, would remove the provisions that were in Amendment 3 and instead allow abortion only in cases of rape, incest, medical emergencies or fetal anomalies.

Missouri voters passed Amendment 3 in November 2024, enshrining the right to an abortion. The procedure still isn't available in the state, as a judge considers Planned Parenthood's lawsuit to strike down several abortion restrictions in state law.

Margot Riphagen has been Planned Parenthood Great Rivers’ vice president of external affairs since April of last year. She was a leader in the coalition of abortion rights supporters that led to Amendment 3 passing in Missouri.

Chief Financial Officer Tonya Tucker will serve as interim CEO while the organization searches for a permanent replacement.

Advocates for abortion rights cheered when voters approved Amendment 3, which enshrined the right to an abortion in the Missouri Constitution. But nearly two months after the ballot initiative passed, the procedure still isn’t available in the state.

Because some licensing restrictions are still on the books, Planned Parenthood providers said they cannot perform abortions even after an order lifted the state's overall abortion ban.