Missouri’s House approved a late-term abortion ban along party lines Thursday, sending the bill to Gov. Jay Nixon after passionate debate.
The measure bans abortions occurring after 20 weeks of pregnancy. The House passed the ban 121-33 after the Senate approved the bill.
Legislators noted the schoolchildren in the House’s upper galleries and said they’d keep their debate professional.
Republicans said lawmakers should care about the rights of a fetus as much as those of other groups they’ve debated this session.
“We talk about landowner rights and business rights and worker rights,” said Rep. John McCaherty, R-High Ridge. “It’s high time we talked about the rights of the child.”
On the other side, Democrats said the decision belongs with the woman, her doctor, and God — not the government.
“A woman needs to rely on the expertise of her physicians, not politicians, not the state,” said Rep. Stacey Newman of St. Louis County.
– Missouri Digital News
