JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Republicans in the Missouri House are continuing to move forward on legislation that would nearly ban all abortions in the state.
On Tuesday, the lower chamber perfected what became an omnibus abortion bill in a 110-37 vote. HB 126, sponsored by Rep. Nick Schroer, started out as a prohibition on abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detected and ended as an outright ban should the U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade.
“The #MoLeg just perfected the strongest pro-life bill in the country,” House Speaker Elijah Haahr tweeted.
“As other states in our nation, like New York and Virginia, venture further and further away from the American ideal to uphold the right to life, I’m honored to lead a state with so many people committed to standing up for those without a voice,” said Parson.
Schroer’s original bill would prohibit any abortion from being performed once a fetal heartbeat excect in medical emergencies. Those who violated the heartbeat ban would pay a $1,000 fine and face the possibility that the physician’s medical license be revoked.
Multiple amendments were added to the bill, including the requirement that bans all abortions after 20 weeks gestation, one requires two parent consent for a minor to abort a pregnancy, and one that prevents abortions on the basis of a prenatal diagnosis indicating Down Syndrome.
The amendment gaining the most attention was a so-called trigger law. A provision, now apart of the bill, would ban all abortions, unless for medical emergencies, if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade.
Opponents argued that Missouri’s abortion laws should be left alone and that this measure limits a woman’s right to decide what to do with her own body.
The omnibus abortion bill needs another vote of approval from the chamber to go to the Senate.
Alisha Shurr was a reporter for The Missouri Times and The Missouri Times Magazine. She joined The Missouri Times in January 2018 after working as a copy editor for her hometown newspaper in Southern Oregon. Alisha is a graduate of Kansas State University.
