Missouri Senate Adjourns Without Considering Omnibus Abortion Bill

Main Category: Abortion
Article Date: 21 May 2008 - 8:00 PDT

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The Missouri Senate adjourned its 2008 legislative session on Friday without considering a measure (HB 1831) that includes several restrictions on abortion rights, the Kansas City Star reports (Noble/Wagar, Kansas City Star, 5/16). The House approved the measure in April, the AP/Belleville News-Democrat reports. Senate President Pro Tem Michael Gibbons (R) said lawmakers had concerns about the legality of the legislation (Lieb, AP/Belleville News-Democrat, 5/16).

The measure would have required a woman seeking an abortion to meet with the physician who is performing the procedure 24 hours prior to discuss the procedure and possible medical risks. Physicians would have been required to show a woman a state-produced brochure or video that provides a description of a developing fetus. The bill also would have required abortion providers to give a woman an option of seeing an ultrasound of her fetus, as well as to instruct her about potential health risks and the option of giving her fetus anesthesia.

In addition, the measure would have required physicians and clinics that perform the procedure to post several signs in their clinics. It also would have allowed felony charges to be filed against a physician who performs an abortion when he or she suspects a woman has been coerced. People who threaten to fire or take away a college scholarship from a pregnant woman unless she has an abortion could have been charged with a misdemeanor, according to the legislation. Those who abuse or threaten a pregnant woman to influence her to have an abortion also could have been charged with additional crimes with enhanced penalties (Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 4/23).

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