(KTTS News) — Missouri House Minority Leader Crystal Quade says she’ll file a measure to let voters decide whether to restore access to abortions.

Quade says her proposal would make sure an amendment is added to the state constitution that would guarantee abortion rights as well as access to contraceptives.

It would also protect patients and doctors from prosecution.

Quade, who’s from Springfield, is running on the Democratic ticket for governor.

Press Release

House Minority Leader Crystal Quade announced plans to file a House Joint Resolution that would add an amendment to the Missouri constitution enshrining the right to reproductive freedom. The resolution would restore access to abortion and ensure continued access to contraceptives for millions of Missourians. The resolution comes after extremist Republicans like Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft have been routinely defeated in the courts to delay petitions from gathering signatures.

“I’m filing this House Joint Resolution so voters can finally have their say without the gimmicks and outright lies we’ve seen play out in the courts. While politicians have played with people’s freedoms, Missourians have suffered.

Lawmakers must allow voters to restore access to important, lifesaving healthcare and my resolution will do just that.

After becoming the first state to ban abortions and to strip away the rights of its citizens to make their own healthcare decisions alongside their families and doctors, Missouri voters should be able to vote to restore the rights Republican legislators stole. With the US Supreme Court set to rule on medication abortions, it is more important now than ever to guarantee the rights in our state constitution.

The right to reproductive freedom is more important than ever, as Missouri legislators continue to put women’s lives in danger and threaten to jail patients and doctors for providing care. It’s time we put our trust in Missouri families and medical providers to make the best decisions for themselves.”

The HJR, if passed, would restore Missourians’ access to abortion, guarantee access to contraceptives, and protect patients and doctors from prosecution.