February Hot Sheet: Abortion Access Restored in Missouri

02/19/2025

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Welcome back to The Hot Sheet!

Here, we give you a quick rundown of what you need to know about the 2025 ballot measure landscape — the trends, analysis, highlights of what’s on the ballot, and why it all matters. 

For more in-depth analysis, our latest voter attitudes research, and information on the measures we’re tracking, head to our Ballot Measure Hub.

2025 Direct Democracy Legislation Landscape

Map of the US demonstrating the number of direct democracy-related bills in play, ranging from 1 bill to 24 bills in per state

As of February 6, BISC is tracking 171 pieces of legislation related to direct democracy.

As of February 14, there are six confirmed measures on statewide ballots this spring in Louisiana, Ohio, and Wisconsin. All of which are legislatively-referred.

BISC is currently tracking 12 measures that are vying for the 2025 ballot.

The Toplines

  • In Missouri, attacks on gender-affirming care for trans youth are being woven into proposed policies challenging abortion rights.
  • Despite the attacks on the ballot initiative process, legislators are proposing proactive legislation to create or expand citizen-led ballot measure processes in at least 11 states including Connecticut, Hawai’i, and Texas.
  • A legislatively-referred measure on Wisconsin’s April 1 ballot will ask voters to pass photo ID requirements for voters. The measure was strategically placed on the ballot alongside a hotly contested state supreme court race.
  • Nearly 300 Nebraskans submitted comments opposing a bill seeking to limit the effects of Nebraska’s voter-approved paid sick leave initiative.
  • A Missouri circuit court judge has temporarily blocked the last TRAP law impacting 2024’s Amendment 3. Clinics have already resumed providing abortions for the first time since the Dobbs decision triggered the state’s abortion ban in 2022.

Emerging Trends

  • Anti-Trans Legislators Weave Attacks on Gender-Affirming Care into Anti-Abortion Bills:It comes as no surprise that a slate of bills have been filed that propose overturning Missouri’s 2024 reproductive freedom initiative, Amendment 3. But found within the text of several such bills are explicit proposals to prohibit gender-affirming care for minors. The pairing of the two topics is nefarious and strategic: the bill sponsors hope to draw out anti-trans voters to secure a defeat of abortion rights, and anti-abortion voters to secure a victory against the health and well-being of trans youth. On the whole, the issue underscores the importance of reproductive freedom and LGBTQ+ rights advocates working together to defend bodily autonomy for all.
  • Amid Nationwide Attacks on Direct Democracy, Some Lawmakers Fight to Introduce Initiative Process to Their State:Following recent years of progressive ballot initiative wins across the country, nearly one hundred legislative attacks on direct democracy have been filed already this year. Yet there is also considerable work being done to introduce — or restore — the ballot initiative process in several states. In addition to a recent call from Wisconsin Gov. Evers for legislators to create an initiative process in his state, BISC is currently monitoring 17 bills that would provide some form of direct democracy in 11 states from Connecticut to Hawai’i to Texas. 

Ballot Measure to Watch

Issue: Democracy

Wisconsin: Photographic identification for voting

What It Does: Appearing on the April 1 ballot, the legislatively-referred measure would amend Wisconsin’s state constitution to require that voters present a valid photo ID in order to vote in any of the state’s elections.

Why It Matters: Passed in 2011, Wisconsin’s existing photo ID requirement is already considered one of the strictest in the nation. Voting rights advocates have long argued that such a requirement is an unnecessary barrier to voting more likely to impact voters of color, disabled people, and poor people. Elevating the statute’s status to constitutional law would make it more difficult to litigate and would require another constitutional amendment in order to undo — no small feat in Wisconsin. Currently, only legislators are allowed to refer a constitutional amendment to the ballot and only after the proposal has passed in two consecutive legislative sessions.

BISC Analysis: Voter ID Measure as a Tool for Increasing Conservative Voter Turnout: Not unlike trending voter citizenship requirements, voter ID proposals prey upon largely unfounded fears of election fraud and serve as a popular platform for Republican lawmakers in particular. Given that photo identification is already required under Wisconsin law, it would seem unnecessary to enshrine it in the state constitution. However, the April 1 ballot features a more pressing issue: the Wisconsin Supreme Court race. At 4-3, the court currently has a slim liberal majority and the GOP is likely hoping to shift the tides in their favor. If they’re able to draw out enough conservative voters to weigh in on the legislatively-referred photo ID amendment, an increase in votes for the conservative judicial candidate could follow. Notably, the candidate being backed by the Democratic Party of Wisconsin was the lead attorney in an unsuccessful lawsuit that challenged the current voter ID law in 2011.

Updates to 2024 Ballot Initiative Victories

Issue: Economic Justice

    • Nebraska Initiative 436: Paid Sick Leave
      • Legislative Challenge: LB 698 would exempt several groups from receiving earned sick leave, including agricultural workers, seasonal and temporary employees, and workers under the age of 16.
        • In its first committee hearing early this month, the bill saw nearly 300 online comments in opposition, versus only nine comments of support.

Issue: Reproductive Freedom

    • Missouri Amendment 3: Right to Reproductive Freedom
      • Legal Victory: Immediately following the success of Amendment 3, Planned Parenthood Great Plains and Planned Parenthood Great Rivers sued to challenge Missouri’s various TRAP laws. They have all received a temporary injunction, allowing clinics to resume providing abortions beginning the week of February 17, 2025.
        • Judge Zhang has set a January 2026 date for a hearing on whether to permanently block all of Missouri’s TRAP laws that are still on the books.

In Case You Missed It

BISC’s Resource Library: Our Partner Portal Resource Library houses ballot measure information ranging from campaign tools, templates, and past campaign materials (Values, MOUS, RFPs, etc.) —  to campaign debriefs and memos highlighting best practices. This library is a unique resource that can help campaigns and organizations build strategies and operationalize racial equity.