Bill will ‘save lives,’ ‘return dignity and freedom’ to MO women
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — House Minority Leader Crystal Quade, D-Springfield, today filed legislation to undo Missouri’s draconian and dangerous ban on abortion that took effect last summer after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.
“State law now deprives Missourians of the right to make choices for themselves, their families and their reproductive futures,” Quade said. “Physicians and health care providers have had to surrender their medical expertise to the interpretations of lawyers and the whims of politicians. Meanwhile, the women of Missouri suffer.”
House Bill 544 would repeal the provisions added to statute in 2019’s House Bill 126, which all but outlawed abortion in the state after six weeks of fetal development — long before most women even know they’re pregnant. Under HB 126, abortions are only permitted if the mother faces a vaguely defined “medical emergency” — but health care providers, physicians and hospital legal departments have disagreed on what constitutes a medical emergency.
Quade went on to say that passing her legislation is a matter of life and death. She noted numerous studies have repeatedly found that states with more restrictive laws on abortion lead to increased maternal mortality rates.
“People will die if we continue to allow this horrific law to stand,” Quade said. “My bill will save lives and return dignity and freedom to reproductive health care in Missouri.”
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