John,

Earlier this week, the Missouri Supreme Court blatantly undermined the will of the people by blocking access to abortion— after voters passed a constitutional amendment guaranteeing it.

Let’s be clear: Missouri’s pro-choice majority made their voices heard. Amendment 3, passed in November, enshrined the right to reproductive freedom, including abortion access, in the state constitution. But on Tuesday, the Missouri Supreme Court overrode the will of the people, allowing anti-abortion laws to remain in effect for now.

This is why state supreme court races matter.

You’ve heard us say it before: ballot measures are essential tools in our fight for reproductive freedom—but they are not enough. Anti-abortion AGs, lawmakers, and judges will do everything they can to delay, water down, or outright ignore abortion protections.

MAGA extremists know how important these court races are: it’s why Elon Musk poured tens of millions into Wisconsin’s race last month, and why the GOP spent six months trying to overturn the results of North Carolina’s 2024 race.

But we’ve seen what’s possible when we show up, invest, and don’t stop fighting: We won that Wisconsin race by a whopping ten points, and we won the bogus legal battle in North Carolina to protect the fair election outcome.

Winning these court races has fast, tangible impacts on abortion access for patients in areas it matters most.

Missouri provides one more example of why our whole-of-government approach is so critical. We must elect pro-choice judges, AGs, legislators, and governors, who are dedicated to implementing pro-choice ballot measures and expanding abortion access with urgency.

Together, we can build a future where our rights aren't up for debate in a courtroom.