JEFFERSON CITY – The Missouri Senate passed controversial abortion legislation early Thursday morning after lengthy negotiations that gutted the version of the bill that passed the House early this session.

Originally, the bill would have created the crime of coercing an abortion, but the version passed by the Senate merely strengthens the state’s existing informed consent laws. Even after negotiating a version of the bill that ended threats of a filibuster, Democrats Joan Bray of University City and Jolie Justus of Kansas City were unhappy with the bill, which adds new requirements to the 24-hour waiting period for abortions.

“A vote for this bill is a vote for the state to lie to these women in print,” said Bray. “I’m sick of women being treated like they’re so stupid that they can’t be responsible for their own reproductive decisions.”

The law requires a doctor or “qualified professional” to give women seeking an abortion various warnings of potential complications and a medical description of the procedure. An abortion clinic also must provide information about various services that might be available should women need aid, including information about adoption. The bill also offers the possibility of an ultrasound 24 hours before the abortion.

The bill passed the Senate 25-7 and now goes to the House for another vote. If the House accepts the Senate version, it will go to Gov. Jay Nixon for his signature.

Senators had objected to the original coercion language over the past couple of years because of concerns that it would criminalize behavior of doctors and parents who advised minor children concerning an unintended pregnancy.

“All of the criminal provisions have been removed from this bill,” said Sen. Rob Mayer, R-Dexter, who presented the bill in the Senate. “This legislation is intended to effectively protect unborn children and women from being wounded for life.”

The original bill was sponsored in the House by Republicans Cynthia Davis and Bryan Pratt.

No senators in favor of the bill spoke about it during the Senate debate, except for Mayer who described the deal when he approved it. But several Democrats who support abortion rights complained that if the Senate wanted to reduce abortions, it would pass bills that increase access to contraception and family planning.

“We are going to have fewer family planning visits from the women of Missouri,” said Justus.

The following senators voted no: Bray, Justus, Jeff Smith, Rita Days, Yvonne Wilson, Robin Wright-Jones, and Dan Clemens. Clemens, of Marshfield, was the only Republican to vote no.

Justus said the Democrats relented on filibustering the bill in part because Republicans had threatened to cut off debate to pass the more controversial elements of the bill. The bill includes a provision that allows the Planned Parenthood clinic in Columbia — one of two abortion clinics in the state — to have until 2012 to fulfill the requirements of the law.

Justus also said that Pratt has told her the House will pass the new version of the bill.