JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri’s Republican-led House advanced a proposed constitutional amendment Tuesday asking voters to repeal an abortion-rights measure they narrowly approved last year and instead ban most abortions with exceptions for rape and incest.
Democrats and abortion-rights activists denounced the public policy swing as an affront to the will of voters. But Republicans contend they are simply giving voters a second chance — and are confident they will change their minds.
“Missourians deserve to be presented with better options at the ballot box -- options that are more in line with their values,” said Republican Rep. Brian Seitz, who is handling the measure.
The abortion landscape across the U.S. has been shifting since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, ending a nationwide right to abortion and clearing the way for bans in Missouri and elsewhere to take effect.
Since then, Missouri is the only state where voters have overturned a law barring most abortions at all stages of pregnancy. A constitutional amendment, passed by about 52% in November, guarantees a right to abortion until fetal viability — generally considered sometime past 21 weeks of pregnancy — and allows later abortions to protect the life or health of pregnant women.
A limited number of surgical abortions have since occurred in Missouri, but medication abortions remain on hold while Planned Parenthood wrangles with the state over abortion regulations.
In addition to repealing the abortion-rights amendment, the new measure would allow abortions only for a medical emergency or fetal anomaly, or in cases of rape or incest up to 12 weeks of pregnancy. It also would prohibit gender transition surgeries, hormone treatments and puberty blockers for minors, which already are barred under state law.
The proposal won initial House approval by 94-50 vote, with House Speaker Jon Patterson among just two Republicans siding with Democrats in opposition. Another House vote is needed to send the measure to the Senate, where approval would place it on a future Missouri ballot.
Some Republican lawmakers assert that voters are opposed to most abortions but desire options for rape and incest and state regulations setting health and safety standards for abortion providers.
Democratic lawmakers read aloud the written testimony of numerous residents who came to the Capitol last week to testify against the measure but were denied an opportunity to speak during a House committee hearing.
"To repeal what they have already voted on is wrong,” Democratic Rep. Marla Smith said.
Tuesday’s debate came on the same day that the House committee heard testimony on separate legislation that would allow abortions to be prosecuted as homicide. That legislation did not advance, but it generated impassioned testimony.
“Our representatives seem to be sitting up here calling us stupid and saying our opinions don’t matter,” said Chloe Mix, a Springfield resident who backed last year’s abortion-rights amendment and opposes this year’s measures.
The Missouri House debate also came one day after the Legislature gave final approval to a bill limiting the courts' ability to rewrite summaries of ballot measures. That measure, which now goes to Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe, was prompted by Republican frustration that a judge rewrote the original ballot summary prepared for last year’s abortion-rights amendment.
Last year, voters in six other states approved ballot measures to bolster abortion rights, and three rejected them. In Arizona, a judge this year permanently blocked enforcement of a ban after 15 weeks of pregnancy, finding it violated the amendment adopted last year.
A ballot measure in Montana last year that ensured the right to abortion didn’t stop lawmakers from introducing several abortion measures this year. But none gained traction in the Legislature.
Associated Press writer Geoff Mulvihill contributed from Cherry Hill, New Jersey.
Missouri state Rep. Brian Seitz, a Republican, examines the text of a proposed constitutional amendment on abortion during debate Tuesday, April 15, 2025, at the state Capitol in Jefferson City, Mo. (AP Photo/David A. Lieb)
FILE - Abortion-rights activists rally outside the Supreme Court in Washington, Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, file)
Members of the Missouri House listen to debate about a proposed constitutional amendment on abortion on Tuesday, April 15, 2025, at the state Capitol in Jefferson City, Mo. (AP Photo/David A. Lieb)
President Donald Trump President Donald Trump on Friday wrapped up a Mideast tour in the United Arab Emirates with a breakfast for business leaders and a visit to an interfaith place of worship named for the Abraham Accords he negotiated.
As part of the accords, the UAE and some other countries in the Middle East recognized Israel. Trump departed Abu Dhabi after his visit to the Abrahamic Family House .
During his visit to the region, violence flared in the West Bank and Gaza. Israeli strikes killed at least 64 people Friday, adding to the more than 120 people who died in recent days.
Here's the latest:
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One before take off, the president said the U.S. has given Iran a proposed agreement.
It was the first public acknowledgement of a significant development in the high-stakes negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear program.
“They have a proposal,” Trump said. “But most importantly, they know they have to move quickly, or something bad is going to happen.”
He did not give specifics.
The protesters expressed support for Daniel Yahalom, a reserve soldier who is serving five days in prison for refusing to participate in what he called an unjust fight.
He’s part of a small but growing number of Israelis who are refusing to show up for service as the war drags on and Israel intensifies its operations in Gaza.
The Israeli military confirmed Yahalom was going to prison and said he was not the first to receive a prison sentence for refusing to serve during the current Israel-Hamas war.
“This boy always cares about others even before himself ... He cares about the suffering of our brothers who are dying underground, and he is willing to pay the price,” said his mother Haya Yahalom.
President Donald Trump has boarded Air Force One in Abu Dhabi as he ends his Mideast trip.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi’s ruler and the leader of the United Arab Emirates, met Trump at the airport. The men shook hands and spoke for a few moments.
Trump also said goodbye to other officials. He looked back, saluted and pumped his fist in the air before boarding the aircraft to head back to Washington.
President Donald Trump has said “a lot of people are starving” in Gaza, a rare acknowledgement of the humanitarian crisis in the territory as Israel’s war with Hamas is on the verge of escalating anew.
Speaking to reporters at a business forum in Abu Dhabi on the final day of his trip to the Middle East, Trump said he was looking to resolve a range of global crises.
“We’re looking at Gaza,” he said. “And we’ve got to get that taken care of. A lot of people are starving ... There’s a lot of bad things going on.”
At least 48 bodies were brought to the Indonesian hospital and another 16 bodies were taken to Nasser Hospital, health officials in Gaza said, as strikes overnight into Friday morning hit the outskirts of Deir al-Balah and the city of Khan Younis.
The strikes came as U.S. President Donald Trump wraps up his Middle East visit that skipped Israel and offered no prospect for a ceasefire in the war-battered territory.
There had been widespread hope that Trump’s regional trip could usher in a ceasefire deal or renewal of humanitarian aid to Gaza. An Israeli blockade of the territory is now in its third month.
An Israeli official said the strikes on Friday were preparatory actions in the leadup to a larger operation and meant to send a message to Hamas that it will begin soon if there isn’t an agreement to release hostages. The official was not authorized to brief media and spoke on condition of anonymity.
— Tia Goldenberg in Tel Aviv, Israel
The interfaith complex in Abu Dhabi features a mosque, church and synagogue — houses of worship for the three Abrahamic faiths.
It was built after the United Arab Emirates signed onto the Abraham Accords in 2020, during President Donald Trump’s first term. The agreement –- which Trump has encouraged other Middle Eastern and North African countries to join –- saw the UAE recognize Israel.
The visit to the white-marble place of worship on the shores of the Persian Gulf is set to conclude Trump’s first major foreign trip of his second term.
“I think it’s time for us to just do it,” Trump told reporters in Abu Dhabi.
Trump reiterated that he wasn’t surprised that Putin skipped a U.S. orchestrated meeting in Turkey between Ukrainian and Russian officials. Putin didn’t want to go because he’s not there, Trump said.
Trump added that a meeting with Putin would happen “as soon as we can set it up.”
“ I would actually leave here and go,” said Trump, who noted his daughter Tiffany just gave birth to her first child. “I do want to see my beautiful grandson.”
Trump says he’s had an “incredible” trip to the Middle East but that “now it’s time to go back home.” He added: “My daughter had a baby and I’m going to go home and see that baby.”
Tiffany Trump gave birth to a boy.
“She’s doing great and the baby’s great.”
An Israeli official said Cabinet members are meeting Friday to assess the negotiations in Qatar and to decide on next steps. The official was not authorized to brief media on the meeting and so spoke on condition of anonymity.
At an event to highlight business partnerships between the UAE and US companies, Trump gave himself a big pat on the back.
“I’m just thinking we have a president of the United States doing the selling,” Trump said to business leaders as they walked him through a presentation on investments that are benefitting the American economy. “You think Biden would be doing it? I don’t think so. But I think its so important. I have to be a cheerleader for our country.”
President Donald Trump has arrived at a business forum being held at Qasr al-Watan, a ceremonial palace in Abu Dhabi.
Trump entered and listened to a presentation from Sultan al-Jaber, the head of the state-owned Abu Dhabi National Oil Co., as well as officials from Exxon Mobil Corp. and Occidental, two oil firms.
Al-Jaber then presented Trump a memento that included a drop of oil in it.
“This is the highest quality oil there is on the planet,” Trump told those watching.
He then drew laughter when he said: “And they only gave me a drop -- so I’m not thrilled.”
Hostage families called on their government Friday to work with President Trump to release those still held in Gaza.
A statement from the hostages forum, which supports the families said people woke up with “heavy hearts” amid reports of increased attacks across Gaza at the end of Trump’s visit to the Middle East. There were widespread attacks in northern Gaza Friday as Trump was finishing his visit to Gulf States but not Israel.
Israel says about 23 of the hostages are said to be alive.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed earlier in the week to push ahead with a promised escalation of force in Israel’s war in the Gaza Strip to pursue his aim of destroying the Hamas militant group, which governs Gaza.
The hostage families called on Netanyahu to “join hands” with Trump’s efforts to release the hostages.
“Missing this historic opportunity for a deal to bring the hostages home would be a resounding failure that will be remembered in infamy forever.
Trump is wrapping up his four-day visit to the Middle East, but he’s keeping a close eye on what’s going on back in Washington.
Before heading out Friday morning to the Qasr Al Watan presidential for the final engagements of his trip, the president took to his Truth Social platform to hammer “Radical Left Sleazebags” after Supreme Court justices on Thursday heard more than two hours of arguments debating how the lower courts should handle Trump’s executive order on birthright citizenship.
“I hope the Supreme Court doesn’t fall for the games they play,” Trump added. “The people are with us in bigger numbers than ever before.”
President Donald Trump is kicking off the final day of his Middle East trip with a meeting of U.S. and UAE business executives alongside UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Energy, health care, aviation, entertainment and other business leaders will be in attendance to highlight ties between the two countries -- a central focus of Trump’s trip to the region. Trump will then tour the Abrahamic Family House, a complex that houses a church, mosque and synagogue and is a symbol of interfaith tolerance. Trump has encouraged other countries in the region to join the Abraham Accords and recognize Israel, as the UAE did in 2020. The president will then depart back to Washington.
Israeli strikes killed at least 20 people in Gaza on Friday morning, as U.S. President Donald Trump wraps up his Middle East visit.
An Associated Press journalist counted the bodies at the Indonesian Hospital in northern Gaza, where they were brought. Survivors said many people were still under the rubble.
The widespread attacks across northern Gaza come as Trump finishes his visit to Gulf states but not Israel.
There had been widespread hope that Trump’s regional visit could usher in a ceasefire deal or renewal of humanitarian aid to Gaza. An Israeli blockade of the territory is now in its third month.
The Israeli military had no immediate comment on the strikes.
President Donald Trump will make several stops before taking off on Air Force One to end his Mideast trip on Friday.
He’ll attend a business summit in the morning in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates.
Trump later will visit the Abrahamic Family House in Abu Dhabi. It is home to a mosque, a church and a synagogue. The UAE built it after diplomatically recognizing Israel in an agreement known as the Abraham Accords, as Christianity, Islam and Judaism are all known as the Abrahamic faiths.
Etihad Airways announced Friday it would purchase 28 wide-body Boeing aircraft during a visit by President Donald Trump to the United Arab Emirates.
Etihad is the government-owned airline of Abu Dhabi that also flies East-West routes like Emirates, the long-haul carrier in neighboring Dubai.
Etihad said in a statement that the sale included “a mix of Boeing 787 and 777X aircraft, powered by GE engines and supported by a services package.”
Boeing did not immediately acknowledge the deal.
Trump was due to address a business conference in Abu Dhabi on Friday, the last day of his Mideast trip that’s also taken him to Saudi Arabia and Qatar, which booked a major Boeing order for its long-haul carrier, Qatar Airways.
Tia Goldenberg contributed from Tel Aviv
President Donald Trump tours the St. Francis Church at the Abrahamic Family House, Friday, May 16, 2025, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
President Donald Trump and UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan participate in a business roundtable at Qasr Al Watan, Friday, May 16, 2025, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
President Donald Trump attends a business meeting and roundtable at Qasr Al Watan, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Friday, May 16, 2025. At right is Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Khaled Bin Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan.(AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
President Donald Trump tours the St. Francis Church at the Abrahamic Family House, Friday, May 16, 2025, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
President Donald Trump and UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan talk at Qasr Al Watan, Thursday, May 15, 2025, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
President Donald Trump and UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan arrive at Qasr Al Watan, Thursday, May 15, 2025, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
President Donald Trump and Sheikh Khaled Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, right, tour the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Thursday, May 15, 2025, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
