Republican effort to restore abortion rights in Missouri folds

A Republican-led group trying to restore abortion rights in Missouri is ending its campaign. Executive Director Jamie Corley on Thursday announced her moderate abortion-rights campaign is withdrawing to clear the path for a competing, more sweeping proposal. Corley was trying to amend Missouri's constitution to allow abortion up to 12 weeks into pregnancy. After that, abortion would be allowed in cases of rape, incest and fatal fetal abnormalities until viability. With the moderate campaign out of the way, a constitutional amendment backed by Planned Parenthood and other abortion-rights groups has a clearer path forward. The rival proposal seeks to enshrine abortion rights in the constitution while allowing lawmakers to regulate it after viability.