STORY UPDATE (5-17-19):
The bill has passed in both chambers and is headed to the governor’s desk. Missouri Rep. Nick Shroer tweeted:
On the heels of Alabama passing a near-complete prohibition on abortion, the Missouri Senate passed a pro-life mega-bill that would prohibit abortions after 8 weeks. The bill is also structured to include numerous other pro-life policies, in the event some part of the law is challenged and struck down by activist judges.
According to the Washington Post,
“Senators approved the legislation 24-10 early Thursday with just hours left before lawmakers’ Friday deadline to pass bills. It needs at least another vote of approval in the GOP-led House before it can go to Republican Gov. Mike Parson, who supports it.The bill only allows exceptions in cases of medical emergencies, not rape or incest.
The Missouri bill comes as abortion opponents across the U.S. push for new restrictions in hopes that the more conservative U.S. Supreme Court will overturn its landmark Roe v. Wade ruling legalizing abortion.”
HB126 includes numerous pro-life provisions, including:
- Prohibiting abortion, except in limited cases, once a heartbeat is detected
- Prohibits gender-targeted abortions
- Prohibits Down syndrome abortions
- Institutes a trigger ban on abortion if Roe v. Wade is overturned
This legislation is another great victory for the pro-life movement on the heels of Alabama’s law. Students for Life Action has been active across the country, including in Missouri, supporting pro-life legislation and working to defeat pro-abortion legislation. Some victories include:
- In Kentucky, we publicly supported a law to protect pregnant workers from discrimination. The legislation was supported by a variety of pro-life, workers’ groups, and much of the business community.
- In Virginia, we helped stop the pro-abortion Equal Rights Amendment from passing. We circulated a letter among national and local pro-life groups that laid out the many reasons the ERA should be opposed, and also organized a press conference at the beginning of the legislative session.
- In Georgia, we helped circulate a similar letter and the legislation has died.
- In Maryland, we testified and spoke out against assisted suicide (Death with Dignity) bill that died in the state senate. This was a huge victory since Maryland is a heavily Democratic state.
- In North Dakota, we testified and spoke out in favor of several pieces of pro-life legislation, including a ban on dismemberment abortions and an Equal Rights Amendment resolution which basically said that North Dakota knows the deadline has passed for the ERA.
- In North Dakota, we also supported legislation, which passed, that requires a doctor to inform someone who takes RU-486 about abortion drug reversal
- In Indiana, we supported the successful prohibition on dismemberment abortions
- In Ohio, on this Tuesday, May 14th, we are joining a press conference in support of abortion pill reversal information. The legislation was written with the help of Ellie Wittman, the Students for Life leader at Miami University-Oxford, and a Wilberforce Fellow.
- In New Mexico, the state Senate had several Democrats switch over to vote against an extreme abortion bill that would have forced New York-style legislation on the state. The bill could also force doctors to commit abortions.
- In the state of Washington, legislation that would have basically let Planned Parenthood write sex ed curriculum for the state died.
Students for Life Action is ready for a post-Roe America.
