Lawsuit over Missouri AG push to inflate cost of abortion IP heads to trial next month

A Cole County judge set June 7 to hear arguments in a lawsuit demanding the state finalize its work on an abortion-rights initiative petition so proponents can begin collecting signatures.

Circuit Court Judge Jon Beetem scheduled a bench trial in the case during a hearing last week.

The ACLU of Missouri filed its lawsuit earlier this month after The Independent revealed a behind-the-scenes push by Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey to convince the state auditor’s office to increase the projected cost of the abortion amendment.

Because Bailey refused to sign off on Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick’s fiscal note, Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft says he can’t finalize work on the summary that would appear on the ballot next year.

According to the lawsuit, the ballot summary was supposed to be completed by May 1.

The ACLU refers to the situation in its latest filing in the case as a “bungled effort reminiscent of Abbott and Costello’s ‘Who’s on First?’” routine. The impasse has left the secretary of state believing he is “impotent to do anything other than wait for the auditor or attorney general to change his respective mind.”