Cost of Missouri abortion-rights petition challenged in court again

By SUMMER BALLENTINE
Associated Press

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Republican lawmakers and anti-abortion activists are going back to court to fight a campaign to legalize abortion in Missouri. Abortion opponents on Monday filed a lawsuit against an initiative petition to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution. Critics argue that the cost estimate that will be provided to voters is too low. The lawsuit says the estimated cost should account for the number of fewer people born because of abortions and subsequent lost tax revenue. The Missouri Supreme Court last month sided with the abortion-rights campaign in a lawsuit over a similar dispute about the petition’s cost.