Missouri Governor signs anti-abortion law. Will it survive a court challenge?

Jack Harvel, The Kansas City Star on Jul 14, 2026

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Gov. Mike Kehoe signed the “Born Alive Abortion Survivor Protection Act,” an anti-abortion bill that critics say is meant to intimidate health care providers.

The bill is the most consequential piece of legislation passed in Missouri this year and was fiercely debated in the final days of the legislative session. The bill makes it possible to charge a health care provider for first-degree murder if they perform or attempt to perform an abortion on a child who survives an abortion attempt.

Democrats argued such cases are already covered by Missouri law on infanticide, and that the bill is a solution to an issue that doesn’t occur.

“The last minute scramble by anti-abortion politicians to pass this blatantly unconstitutional and medically nonsensical policy right under the gun at the end of the legislative session makes clear that they know they are about to lose their abortion bans at the ballot box––again,” Maggie Olivia, Abortion Action Missouri director of policy and external affairs, said in a statement.

The bill lost support from some pro-abortion activists in the session, who opposed Senate amendments that added a slew of provisions to the bill. What started as a single subject anti-abortion bill now includes policies modifying the definition of certain criminal offenses and allowing prosecutors to request assistance from the Attorney General.

The additions could lead to a violation of Missouri’s single-subject clause, which limits lawmakers from writing bills about multiple topics.

Despite some pushback from some anti-abortion activists, Missouri Right to Life thanked Kehoe for signing the legislation.

“The most vulnerable among us deserve every opportunity to thrive. This legislation ensures that babies who survive attempted abortions receive the same level of medical care as any other newborn, giving them the chance at life every child deserves,” the organization said in a statement.