Missouri
How a looming Missouri Supreme Court ruling could upend the Nov. 5 ballot and initiative process
The fate of an abortion rights amendment is now in the hands of the Missouri Supreme Court — and it has just a few days to reach a decision.
Missouri’s high court will have to issue a ruling by Tuesday, the final day that a measure can be removed from the Nov. 5 ballot.
How the court rules could be decisive for an effort to undo the state’s near total ban on abortion in November and affect voter turnout on Election Day. The decision could also ultimately reshape how constitutional amendments are presented to Missouri voters in future elections.
Late Friday evening, Cole County Judge Christopher Limbaugh ruled that the full text of the ballot measure, known as Amendment 3, failed to meet state requirements by not naming sections of existing law or the constitution that would be repealed if voters pass the measure.
Proponents of Amendment 3 filed an appeal Saturday to the Missouri Court of Appeals’ Western District, which transferred the case to the state Supreme Court.
Mary Catherine Martin, an attorney representing four plaintiffs seeking to remove Amendment 3 from the ballot, said she was grateful Limbaugh rendered a quick decision after he held a hearing on the case on Friday morning. She had argued that backers of the amendment obscured the ability of petition signers to gauge the impact of its potential passage by omitting from the petition mention of laws the amendment would repeal.
“The disclaimer needed to be within the full text of the measure attached to the petitions that were circulated,” Martin said. “So the error is not in the law’s text. And the error is not with the text on the ballot. The error that he found was in the circulated petitions.”
Planned Parenthood Great Plains Votes CEO Emily Wales said Saturday afternoon that Limbaugh’s decision is merely a “distraction.”
“We’re going to be on the ballot,” Wales said. “But it is incredibly frustrating to have a last ditch effort to throw so much chaos into this process.”
Brian Munoz
/
St. Louis Public Radio
Precedent setting?
Limbaugh’s opinion cited a 2018 ethics and redistricting measure known as Clean Missouri that had a disclaimer at the top of the petition stating that its passage could result in the repeal of a number of statutes.
“The drafters of prior amendments had no reason other than compliance with [state law and the Missouri Constitution] to inform potential signers of the enormously broad impacts, both direct and implied, of their proposed measures,” Limbaugh wrote. “Their inclusion of long lists of affected laws was mandatory in order to protect potential signatories.”
But a number of other constitutional amendments placed before voters didn’t have similar disclaimers as the Clean Missouri measure. For instance, the 2022 initiative that legalized marijuana for adult use didn’t say at the top of the petition that the measure would repeal state laws inflicting penalties for possession or purchase of cannabis products. And another initiative on the November 2024 ballot that would legalize sports betting in Missouri also didn’t mention any state statutes that could be repealed.
Wales, of Planned Parenthood Great Plains Votes, said doing what Limbaugh would have asked is “functionally impossible.”
“We can’t predict every existing or potential future statute that would conflict with a constitutional change,” Wales said. “The way that this works is the voters get to understand what they’re voting on, what established right they would be adding to the Constitution. And then the courts go through and say: ‘Here’s where the conflicts are.’”
Wales also said if Limbaugh’s ruling is upheld, it would make the initiative petition process “a right in name only.” Requiring petition organizers to “predict and identify every tiny conflict” with state law or the constitution would make the process too difficult, she said.
Martin, the attorney who argued to remove Amendment 3 from the ballot, said whether other constitutional amendments had the appropriate disclaimers is not relevant to this case. “They could very well have broken the law and gotten away with it,” she said.
High stakes
The looming Missouri Supreme Court decision could be a major turning point for the fight for legal abortion in Missouri.
Polling from St. Louis University and YouGov in August found that 52% of poll respondents supported Amendment 3. And that was before the campaign supporting the amendment launched its advertising campaign.
While Republican elected officials have promised to organize an opposition campaign to the initiative, they will almost certainly be outspent. Since the middle of August, the campaign committee backing the passage of Amendment 3 received more than $8 million in donations of $5,000 or more.
By comparison, a group recently formed to oppose Amendment 3 raised about $80,000 in donations of $5,000 or more throughout the entirety of 2024. And a committee that Missouri Right to Life organized raised about $545,000 in large donations since April.
Even some Republicans who oppose Amendment 3 have publicly conceded that it may be an uphill battle to defeat the initiatives at the polls. That includes state Sen. Jason Bean, who represents a Senate district that voted for Republican Donald Trump in 2020 by landslide margins.
“Everything that I’m kind of hearing and seeing, unfortunately, yes, I think it’s going to pass,” said Bean, R-Dunklin County, on a recent episode of Politically Speaking.
Missouri Democrats are banking on the abortion initiative boosting turnout for their candidates — particularly legislative contenders in suburban districts. The SLU/YouGov poll showed that abortion initiative provided limited coattails for statewide Democratic contenders.
Other GOP elected officials, including gubernatorial nominee Mike Kehoe, have said they believe abortion rights opponents can defeat Amendment 3. Back in 2006, an underfunded, but well-organized, group of social conservatives almost defeated a measure enshrining protection for embryonic stem cell research despite being heavily outspent.
“I believe the people who are interested in protecting innocent life will show up as well, and we will do everything we can to make sure Missourians understand how important it is to protect innocent life and come out and defeat that amendment,” Kehoe said last month on the Politically Speaking Hour on St. Louis on the Air.
Martin’s lawsuit against Amendment 3 also contended that the measure violated a prohibition against an amendment having more than one subject. Limbaugh didn’t rule on that point.
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Copyright 2023 St. Louis Public Radio. To see more, visit St. Louis Public Radio.
Jason Rosenbaum
Jason is the politics correspondent for St. Louis Public Radio.
See stories by Jason Rosenbaum
Reinforcing the offensive line has been a priority for the New Orleans Saints, who opened free agency by signing former Buffalo Bills left guard David Edwards to a four-year, $61 million contract. Even though the franchise has allocated plenty of resources to its offensive line, the free agency addition won’t stop them from seeking more offensive line talent.
The franchise is focused on protecting second-year quarterback Tyler Shough. If a starting offensive lineman is injured, someone must step up. Currently, Asim Richards is the only reliable backup for left tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. or right tackle Taliese Fuaga. On the interior, Dillon Radunz would make sense as a reliable replacement if someone were to go down between Edwards, center Erik McCoy, and right guard Cesar Ruiz.
Drafting a promising offensive lineman in 2026 makes sense, as the Saints hold five Day 3 picks. It’s unlikely general manager Mickey Loomis will spend early draft capital on a tackle, but a late pick is logical. Missouri’s Keagen Trost, projected for Day 3, could fit this need.
Trost, 25, recently worked out privately with the Saints, a source told Saints Wire. The Missouri standout earned a 92.4 Pro Football Focus grade in 13 games last season, ranking No. 1 among 632 eligible collegiate tackles. He also allowed just one sack in 834 total snaps.
Trost’s high grades project him in the fifth round, and he offers versatility, including potential to move inside. At his pro day, he measured 6-foot-4 and 313 pounds. The main issue is his 32 3/8-inch arms, which are shorter than teams prefer for starting tackles. He has extensive SEC experience and strong college production to back it up.
Picks No. 150 and 172 in the fifth round are logical choices for New Orleans to consider selecting Trost. Multiple teams have shown interest in him; he had five pre-draft visits and recently held virtual meetings with the Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys, Cincinnati Bengals, and Atlanta Falcons, according to a source. While there are many highly regarded offensive linemen in this class, Trost’s versatility appears to set him apart from the others.
The Missouri Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at April 19, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Pick 3 numbers from April 19 drawing
Midday: 4-7-3
Midday Wild: 7
Evening: 8-8-3
Evening Wild: 5
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 numbers from April 19 drawing
Midday: 9-0-8-0
Midday Wild: 9
Evening: 1-8-4-8
Evening Wild: 9
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash Pop numbers from April 19 drawing
Early Bird: 15
Morning: 15
Matinee: 07
Prime Time: 10
Night Owl: 06
Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Show Me Cash numbers from April 19 drawing
08-14-24-27-28
Check Show Me Cash payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
All Missouri Lottery retailers can redeem prizes up to $600. For prizes over $600, winners have the option to submit their claim by mail or in person at one of Missouri Lottery’s regional offices, by appointment only.
To claim by mail, complete a Missouri Lottery winner claim form, sign your winning ticket, and include a copy of your government-issued photo ID along with a completed IRS Form W-9. Ensure your name, address, telephone number and signature are on the back of your ticket. Claims should be mailed to:
Ticket Redemption
Missouri Lottery
P.O. Box 7777
Jefferson City, MO 65102-7777
For in-person claims, visit the Missouri Lottery Headquarters in Jefferson City or one of the regional offices in Kansas City, Springfield or St. Louis. Be sure to call ahead to verify hours and check if an appointment is required.
For additional instructions or to download the claim form, visit the Missouri Lottery prize claim page.
When are the Missouri Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
- Pick 3: 12:45 p.m. (Midday) and 8:59 p.m. (Evening) daily.
- Pick 4: 12:45 p.m. (Midday) and 8:59 p.m. (Evening) daily.
- Cash4Life: 8 p.m. daily.
- Cash Pop: 8 a.m. (Early Bird), 11 a.m. (Late Morning), 3 p.m. (Matinee), 7 p.m. (Prime Time) and 11 p.m. (Night Owl) daily.
- Show Me Cash: 8:59 p.m. daily.
- Lotto: 8:59 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday.
- Powerball Double Play: 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Missouri editor. You can send feedback using this form.
WHEATLAND, Mo. — It was all Kerry Madsen on Saturday night at Lucas Oil Speedway as the 54-year-old native of Australia, who’s now based in Knoxville, Iowa, picked up his first Interstate Batteries High Limit Sprint racing victory.
Madsen led all 30 laps to earn the $12,000 prize. He outdistanced runner-up Sue Lynch by 2.79 seconds with Tanner Holmes finishing third.
“The car’s been super quick every time we’ve hit the track,” Madsen said, noting several competitive runs in the early portion of the High Limit schedule. “The car’s been quick every night, which gives you a lot of confidence.
“We haven’t drawn well in dashes and had some little stuff going on. We drew a good one (tonight) and the car was good and we got the job done. I’m pretty happy.”
That changed this time as Madsen beat Holmes in the dash, to claim the pole position for the feature.
Madsen said his young crew chief Ty Wolfgang has “done a great job” getting in sync with him. Communication has been a big key.
“I know it sounds weird, but just hanging out together,” Madsen said of the driver-crew chief chemistry. “Dinner and a beer and just talk about racing. You do that and it might be a Wednesday night, but something clicks. He’s been real receptive with that stuff and that’s great.”
Madsen, a former Knoxville Nationals 360 winner, paced the early going after starting from the pole, with Holmes in close pursuit. Action slowed on lap six with Chase Randall and Danny Samms III tangling in turn two for the first and only yellow of the event.
Lynch moved into second on the restart as Madsen opened a 1.5-second lead by lap nine as Holmes dropped to third. Madsen’s margin swelled to nearly two seconds by lap 11 – but Lynch tracked down the leader and cut the deficit to a half-second at the halfway mark on lap 15.
As the race continued until green-flag conditions, Madsen settled into a one-second advantage as Lynch and Holmes tried to keep pace. Madsen poured it on in the late stages, cruising to the checkers by nearly three seconds over Lynch.
“Hopefully we can keep rolling like this all year. Obviously, you can’t win every night, but being quick and running well is going to be awesome,” Madsen said.
Lynch, 28 from Cowansville, Pa., said the team found some steering issues and gave him a fast car. It just was not fast enough to stay with Madsen on Saturday night.
“We were battling steering issue in the dash and it was pretty obvious,” Lynch said. “We just didn’t have time to change it and we just tried to make it the best we could. Really the car was super good. The guys busted their butt all night. It’s a testament to the team. We’re working hard and hopefully one spot better real soon.”
Holmes, a 22-year-old from Jacksonville, Oregon, came home third with Daison Pursley fourth, Hank Davis fifth and Rico Abreu charging from 11th to sixth.
“Our best night of the year,” Holmes said. “We’ve got to race a little bit during a break with High Limit these last few weeks. Some of those nights when we got our teeth kicked in taught us a lot.”
Fast overall qualifier was Sye Lynch at 13.342 seconds out of Group A. Aaron Reutzel led Group B with a lap of 13.469 seconds. Both were well off the track record for 410 Sprints held by Rico Abreu at 12.829 seconds on June 29, 2024.
The finish:
Feature: 1. 55-Kerry Madsen[1]; 2. 42-Sye Lynch[3]; 3. 13-Tanner Holmes[2]; 4. 9-Daison Pursley[4]; 5. 17GP-Hank Davis[5]; 6. 24-Rico Abreu[11]; 7. 7BC-Tyler Courtney[12]; 8. 77-Giovanni Scelzi[6]; 9. 19-Brent Marks[9]; 10. 26-Justin Peck[10]; 11. 88-Tanner Thorson[15]; 12. 21-Brian Brown[14]; 13. 28-Jace Park[23]; 14. 87-Aaron Reutzel[7]; 15. 19JR-Joel Myers Jr[20]; 16. 45X-Rees Moran[21]; 17. 5-Brenham Crouch[19]; 18. 44-Chris Martin[8]; 19. 19H-Kaleb Johnson[22]; 20. 87X-Logan Seavey[17]; 21. 36-Jason Martin[16]; 22. 9R-Chase Randall[18]; 23. 24D-Danny Sams III[13]; 24. 2-Miles Paulus[24]
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