Abortion bill deal appears to be in the works in Missouri Senate
JEFFERSON CITY — Never count out an abortion bill in the Missouri Legislature.
This year’s abortion bill, which would strengthen existing waiting period laws and add the crime of coercing an abortion, is back to life in the Missouri Senate. The same bill never made it to the Senate floor last year, and it was filibustered earlier this session.
But a group of senators have been meeting overtime in Sen. Charlie Shields’ office the past couple of weeks to come up with a compromise piece of legislation that would appease anti-abortion Republicans and convince Democrats who support abortion rights to not filibuster the bill.
The deal, according to a substitute version of the bill that has not yet been offered on the floor, would get rid of the portion of the bill that creates the crime of “coercing” an abortion. Critics of that language said it could actually lead to criminalization of parental advice to children who become pregnant, based on how the bill was worded.
On the Senate floor, Sen. Jolie Justus, D-Kansas City, said Democrats have made an offer to Republicans pushing the bill that would allow the bill to pass. The other option that has been talked about is for Senate Republicans to call the previous question, which, if they had the votes, would cut off debate. The procedure is used all the time in the House but is rare in the Senate and hasn’t been used once last session or this session.
The new version of the bill would add to the information that must be given to women who seek abortions, and it would add language that says an abortion cannot be coerced. But it would not create a new crime of coercing an abortion.
Last night at about 10 p.m., Sen. Rob Mayer, R-Dexter, brought up the old version of the bill for discussion, and various senators talked about the compromise that was under negotiation.
Senators discussed the legislation and negotiations for about an hour and then pulled the bill back and adjourned.
yeah, proved your point jmfree, just ignore the science, and i can see the perverse joy you get ripping humans limb from limb knowing they can feel every moment of your desired torture. You must have been one of those kids who loved tearing wings off of insects. Enjoy your “progressiveness” even though your science tells you otherwise. Your response made “0″ sense, and is devoid of fact, ethics and logic. After that, at least your are entertaining in your ignorance of the subject
still waiting for a “progressive” to justify the torturous murder of tearing these children limb from limb knowing they can feel it. all you have is “a mother’s choice ?” You ignore the science so very conveniently…it really shows your ignorance, callousness, and frankly lack of education.
Fre2rply and ShelleyP - BRAVO! Missouri has one of the lowest rates of abortion in the country. Ninety-six percent of Missouri counties have NO abortion provider. And still, THIS is the useless garbage that our legislature wastes its time on?!
When will the pro-life nutters turn their attention to the thousands of needy children who have already been born? The kids in foster care, the kids who live in poverty - do THEIR lives not matter? When a tiny mass of cells becomes more important than a living, breathing, born child, it’s obvious somebody’s priorities are way out of whack!
Regardless of your views on abortion…please just show me the evidence that coercion of an abortion is a problem in Missouri???
good one north county nan, please address knowing the children can feel themselves being ripped to shreds at 20 weeks and your argument may hold some water……..or you just don’t care ?
Come on guys: one post each please…
This is a forum for discussion, not a shouting match.
ksiefert, please address how you know definitively that unborn fetuses can feel pain? Did they tell you?
Also, please share with us the statistics on abortions actually performed at 20 weeks. Nearly 90% of abortions take place in the first 12 weeks.
i am not going to do your homework for you north county nan, look it up yourself, but i am sure the majority of haters on this site prefer the comfort of their ignorance instead of pointing and clicking “google” again, amazing how you progressives selectively use your science. Its all out their, just click and read……..
I’ve never read so many statements that claim to be based on science, but are completely void of any scientific basis.
A zygote contains the DNA of both the mother and the father. It is human DNA, and is therefore…HUMAN.
The zygote is biologically alive. It fulfills the four criteria needed to establish biological life:
1. metabolism
2. growth
3. reaction to stimuli
4. reproduction (division)
What we have is human, and it is alive. The fact that the unborn child is a human life is not a matter of scientific debate.
What we have here, is a debate as to the value of one human life vs. that of another human life.
This isn’t the first time our country has had a debate as to the value of one human life vs. that of another. We can look at history. It wasn’t that long ago, that the color of one’s skin was used to determine one’s value. Who went to jail for killing their slave? Didn’t the slave-owner have a right to determine what they did with their own property? -Just like a woman has a right to determine what to do with her own property??
Be honest. Admit that abortion is the taking of human life. Admit that, because the government didn’t prohibit such activity -much like they didn’t prohibit slavery - the value of one human life was considered to be greater than that of another.
Say it! My human life is worth more than that of another. The silent human life won’t argue with you.
and as far as the 12 week axiom you present as fact, i will say this does make me feel better….but i guess for the 300,000 or so that have the fully developed nervous systems at 20 weeks its just way too bad. i have never let my own arrogant estimation of someone’s maturity and intelligence limit the empathy i may have for them. That much is certain….