Fundraising off to slow start in fight over Missouri abortion amendment

By SUMMER BALLENTINE
Associated Press

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — What’s expected to be an expensive and bitter fight over Missouri abortion-rights ballot measures so far has not attracted much money. A campaign to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution Tuesday reported it had no cash on hand at the end of 2023. The group last year received about $25,000 in nonmonetary aid from the American Civil Liberties Union. A competing Republican-backed campaign raised roughly $61,000. It typically costs millions of dollars just to pay workers to collect enough voter signatures to get a constitutional amendment on the Missouri ballot. Campaigns have until May to collect more than 170,000 signatures to get on the November ballot.