Idaho and Missouri Voters Decide Abortion Measures Nov. 3 as Baptist Leaders Weigh In
Southern Baptist leaders oppose Idaho's initiative and back Missouri's Amendment 3, while the campaigns on the other side say the measures are about restoring or protecting what voters chose.
See where this is ›JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. —
Voters in Idaho and Missouri will decide abortion measures on Tuesday, Nov. 3, and Southern Baptist leaders in both states are speaking out, Baptist Press reported in a story carried by Kentucky Today. The article, by Brandon Porter, also listed Virginia and Nevada among states with abortion-related measures, citing KFF Health, without giving details on them.
See where this is ›In Idaho, the Reproductive Freedom and Privacy Act would allow abortion up to fetal viability and when the mother's health is in danger, Boise State Public Radio reported. A 2022 Idaho law now bans most abortions, with exceptions for rape, incest and threats to the mother's life. The campaign, backed by Idahoans United for Women & Families, reported gathering about 110,000 signatures. “Put very simply, this law restores us to the standard that we had under Roe in Idaho for nearly five decades,” said campaign director Melanie Folwell.
Rob Lee, executive director of the Utah Idaho Southern Baptist Convention, disagreed. “Idaho is known for being a pro-life state that protects the life of the baby before birth,” Lee said. Evan Lenow, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, said, “Our prayer is that life would prevail at the ballot box in Idaho.”
See where this is ›In Missouri, Amendment 3 would repeal the abortion amendment voters passed in 2024 and bring back a ban on most abortions, KCUR reported. It allows exceptions for rape and incest up to 12 weeks of pregnancy, and for medical emergencies, ectopic pregnancies and fetal anomalies. It would also write a ban on gender transition treatment for minors into the state constitution. Early voting is underway.
“This is the middle of the road proposal that allows for some exceptions,” said Rep. Ed Lewis, a Moberly Republican and the amendment's sponsor. Mallory Schwarz, executive director of Abortion Action Missouri and a spokesperson for the Stop the Ban campaign, answered, “The bottom line is overturning the will of the people is not middle of the road.”
Wes Fowler, executive director of the Missouri Baptist Convention, wrote in The Pathway that the amendment “significantly restricts abortions in Missouri, which is a step in the right direction.” Zack Pruitt, the ERLC's vice president of public policy and general counsel, called it an “opportunity to self-correct” after the narrow 2024 vote. Lenow said the commission's resources are meant to help inform Southern Baptists before they go to the polls.
Results are expected after the polls close Nov. 3.
