Another State Puts Strict Abortion Law in Place

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson signs 8-week law, with no exceptions for rape or incest
By Newser Editors,  Newser Staff
Posted May 24, 2019 11:56 AM CDT
Another State Puts Strict Abortion Law in Place
Missouri Gov. Mike Parson.   (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)

Add Missouri to the list of states with strict new laws on abortion. Gov. Mike Parson on Friday signed a measure banning the procedure after eight weeks, with no exceptions for rape or incest, reports the Hill. As with laws in other states, including Alabama and Georgia, legal challenges await. Proponents of the law hope those challenges will eventually end up in the Supreme Court and lead to an overturning of Roe v. Wade. The law is "a strong message to the nation that here in Missouri, we will always stand for life, protect women’s health and advocate for the unborn," said Parson.

Missouri's law does allow exceptions when a woman's health is in danger. “Let’s call this bill exactly what it is: a near-total ban on safe, legal abortion,” said Leah Boersig, board president of NARAL Pro-Choice Missouri, per the New York Times. The newspaper notes that doctors measure a pregnancy starting with the date of a woman's last menstrual cycle. In Missouri, then, a woman is considered 8 weeks' pregnant about 6 weeks after conception. (Georgia just lost two big entertainment projects, a movie and a TV show, over its law.)

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