JOPLIN, Mo.–Now that the supreme court has struck down Roe v Wade, a Missouri trigger law now effectively ends access to legal abortion in the state. 

“We all knew it was coming,” said Jamie Lindsey, Editor and Chief of Julie Joplin Media. “They had with the leak that came out a few months ago, like they had told us, that this is essentially what it was going to be. So we all knew it was going to happen any day.”

After the supreme court ruled to overturn roe v wade, Missouri’s trigger law went into place, essentially banning most abortions in the state.

Some women like Natalie Noel say they fear what comes next.

“As a young woman, I think it’s a really scary day in America and in Missouri,” Noel said.

In reaction to the ruling, Julie Joplin Media held a rally Friday evening in opposition of the decision.

Melissa Antone, a Joplin resident in attendance says she showed up to protest the government regulating women’s health.

“It is not the government’s position or place to get involved in medical decisions about a person’s body. And…I think we could all agree, I can’t think of one law that regulates a man’s body. And so this is just a matter of health care privacy,” Antone said.

Missouri’s trigger law bans all abortions in the state except in cases of medical emergency, with no exceptions for rape or incest.

Noel said the lack of exceptions scares her.

“I was really scared, especially with there being no exceptions for rape or incest…my biggest fear is that people are going to die. I think whenever you ban abortion, you don’t ban abortion. You ban safe, legal abortion. Women are going to die trying to give themselves at home abortions.”

Not only was the rally a way for people to voice their opinions following the ruling, Lindsey said it was also a space for women to support one another.

“I really wanted to make sure that we had networks around the area, people that we can just turn to and go to whenever we need help or support questions,” she said.

“We want people out there who maybe are afraid, like we are, to know they’re not alone. There’s a support system here. But second, when we’re done making our voices heard here on the street, we’re going to go have a planning session and we’re gonna figure out what we can do today. This week.”

Missouri has become the first state in the country to effectively end abortion following the supreme court decision.

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