Shocking documentation of recently released records of sex-change surgeries performed on minors in various states should alert voters in Missouri that such is on the horizon if Amendment No. 3 succeeds.

This is because of the broad use of its terms like “reproductive health care,” “freedom,” “all matters relating to” and “including but not limited to,” the (new) constitutional right to “autonomous decision making,” and prohibition against “infringement” of patient decisions, good or bad (paragraph 2).

A member of the trans community, from Columbia, Mo., testified before the Missouri legislature that “reproductive health care does include gender affirming care” and “this is basic medical science which has been around for decades.”

Anti-“discrimination” language of No. 3 (par. 6), would cancel the Missouri Save Adolescence From Experimentation Act (SAFE), statute 191.720. It outlaws (with some exceptions), health care providers from performing gender transition surgery, including cross-sex hormones and puberty-blocking drugs, for the purpose of gender transition on any person under the age of 18 years. The amendment, would also nullify statute 568.065, which recites that a person commits the crime of genital mutilation if said person destroys, let’s say, private female parts of a child less than 17 years of age. This law says genital manipulation of a minor is a class B felony.

A voter should also keep in mind the broad immunities recited (par. 5) for any person assisting a person in exercising their right to reproductive freedom with that person’s consent. He/she cannot be penalized, prosecuted, or otherwise subjected to adverse action for doing so (par. 5). This means no one could be held accountable if your child was harmed or died from the surgery or drugs.

Amendment No. 3 does not include any consent or even notification of a parent of a minor. The “autonomous decision-making” (par. 3) of the minor patient may not be infringed upon by creation of this new constitutional right.

Application of the terms of Amendment 3 are thus relevant for the subjects of surgeries on minors without parental consent, sports competition, use of school bathrooms, and state employee and benefit program coverage.

Finally, expect an effort to require use of taxes to pay for the above because it would be claimed the government cannot discriminate against any “reproductive health care.”

Amendment 3, if passed, has life altering consequences not specifically identified or disclosed, because the concepts are unpopular, unwise, unhealthy, and would cause the proposal to fail.

Vote no on Amendment 3.

(David Drury has been a licensed attorney in the state of Missouri for over 50 years with experience in medical negligence issues).