Citing appeal, judge declines to order Missouri AG to comply with order on abortion initiative
A Cole County judge on Monday rejected a call from the ACLU of Missouri that he direct Attorney General Andrew Bailey to comply with a court order to certify the fiscal summary on an abortion rights initiative.
Circuit Judge Jon Beetem last Tuesday gave Bailey 24 hours to certify the fiscal summary to the auditor’s office, stating in his decision that Bailey had “an absolute absence of authority” to refuse the certification.
On Monday, Beetem said he agreed with Bailey that the appeal filed within 24 hours of the original order resulted in an automatic stay of his ruling. He added that the schedule set by the Missouri Supreme Court for an appeal of that order will bring a quick resolution.
That final decision may not come as fast as the ACLU of Missouri would like, Beetem noted, but it is speedy in court terms. The Supreme Court set oral arguments for July 18, and Beetem said he would expect a decision by the end of July.
“So it’s still a question that every day of delay prejudices the petitioners,” Beetem said. “But I don’t know that we could make it move any faster.”
The focus of the case is 11 versions of a proposed initiative petition seeking to roll back Missouri’s ban on abortion submitted in March to Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft’s office.
https://missouriindependent.com/2023/06/26/citing-appeal-judge-declines-to-order-missouri-ag-to-comply-with-order-on-abortion-initiative/