JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Missouri lawmakers are intensifying efforts to challenge two voter-approved laws from last year that address abortion rights and sick leave benefits.

In November 2024, Missouri voters passed two key measures: Amendment 3, which enshrines abortion protection in the state constitution, and Proposition A, which expands sick leave benefits and raises the state’s minimum wage.

Several months later, lawmakers continue to push back against these voter-approved measures.

Last month, a spokesperson from the Missouri Sec. of State’s Office told FOX 2, that “There is no specific statutory protection in Missouri law that prevents lawmakers from challenging or altering voter-approved amendments or propositions.” Some local election rights advocates argue that these challenges may occur when the political party controlling the state legislature shows opposition to voter-approved measures.

Currently, efforts to overturn or modify sick leave and abortion rights laws are ongoing with various levels of momentum.

Last Thursday, House Bill 567, which seeks to overturn Missouri’s sick leave law, passed a Senate committee. After clearing the House in mid-March, it now awaits further discussion on the Senate floor. If it clears at least three rounds of voting, the bill would head to Gov. Mike Kehoe for review.

The Missouri Secretary of State’s Office, in the previous report linked above, told FOX 2 that statutory measures like Proposition A can be repealed or modified through standard legislative action.

In addition to this challenge, there are at least two proposals aimed at changing Missouri’s new constitutional abortion law.

Senate Joint Resolution 33 seeks to amend the state constitution by explicitly limiting abortions to cases of medical emergencies, fetal anomalies, rape, or incest, and only up to a certain gestational limit. It also includes provisions that ban gender transition surgeries and certain types of gender-affirming care for minors.

Meanwhile, Senate Joint Resolution 8, proposes redefining personhood in the state constitution while explicitly stating that the definition does not create a right to abortion or require public funding for abortions.

Because these are Senate Joint Resolutions, if approved by lawmakers and the governor, they will be placed on a future Missouri ballot for voter consideration, rather than immediately becoming a law. That will either be for the November 2026 general election or a prior special election if called by the governor.

Both resolutions have undergone two readings in the Missouri Senate and have passed some committees, according to SJR 8 and SJ33 web pages, though it remains unclear when they might be revisited.