Jefferson City, Mo. – Missouri Gov. Mike Parson has signed one of the nation’s most restrictive abortion bills, banning the procedure on or beyond eight weeks of pregnancy.

The legislation includes an exception for medical emergencies, but not for cases of rape and incest.

The ban is set to take effect Aug. 28 unless it’s blocked in court. A legal challenge is expected.

Doctors who violate the eight-week cutoff face five to 15 years in prison. Women won’t be prosecuted for getting abortions.

Alabama’s governor signed a bill May 15 making performing an abortion a felony in nearly all cases. Missouri’s bill would also ban almost all abortions, but only if the Supreme Court’s landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that legalized abortion is overturned. </s> Missouri Gov. Mike Parson on Friday signed a bill that bans abortions on or beyond the eighth week of pregnancy without exceptions for cases of rape or incest, making it among the most restrictive abortion policies in the nation.

Under the law that comes into force Aug. 28, doctors who violate the eight-week cutoff could face five to 15 years in prison. Women who terminate their pregnancies cannot be prosecuted. A legal challenge is expected, although it's unclear when that might occur.

The measure includes exceptions for medical emergencies, such as when there is a risk of death or permanent physical injuries to "a major bodily function of the pregnant woman." But the lack of exceptions women who find themselves pregnant after being raped or subjected to incest has drawn sharp criticism, including from wealthy GOP donor David Humphreys, a Missouri businessman, who had urged the Republican governor to veto the bill and called it "bad public policy."

Parson defended the lack of exceptions as he spoke to a group of abortion opponents gathered Friday for the bill signing in his Capitol office.

"Is it a terrible thing that happens in those situations? Yes it is. ... But the reality of it is bad things do happen sometimes. But you have two months to decide what you're going to do with that issue, and I believe in two months you can make a decision," he said.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri said it was exploring "all options, including litigation, to block the law from going into effect." The organization's state legislative and policy director, Sara Baker, in a statement said the bill is "unconstitutional, and it must be stopped."

Alabama's governor signed a bill on May 15 making performing an abortion a felony in nearly all cases. Supporters have said they hope to provoke a legal challenge that will eventually force the U.S. Supreme Court to revisit its landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that legalized abortion nationally.

Unlike Alabama's near-total abortion ban, lawmakers who helped draft the Missouri bill say it's meant to withstand court challenges instead of spark them. If the eight-week ban is struck down, the bill includes a ladder of less-restrictive time limits at 14, 18 or 20 weeks.

Missouri's bill also includes an outright ban on abortions except in cases of medical emergencies, but that would kick in only if Roe v. Wade is overturned. Missouri Right to Life called it "the strongest pro-life bill in Missouri history."

Missouri state House Democratic Minority Leader Crystal Quade said in a written statement the new law treats women "as little more than fetal incubators with no rights or role in the decision, even in cases of rape and incest."

Kentucky , Mississippi , Ohio and Georgia also have approved bans on abortions once fetal cardiac activity can be detected, which can occur in about the sixth week of pregnancy. Some of those laws already have been challenged in court, and similar restrictions in North Dakota and Iowa have been struck down by judges.

Missouri already has some of the nation's most restrictive abortion regulations, including a requirement that doctors performing abortions have partnerships with nearby hospitals. Missouri is down to one clinic performing abortions, which is in St. Louis.

A total of 3,903 abortions occurred in Missouri in 2017, the last full year for which the state Department of Health and Senior Services has statistics online. Of those, 1,673 occurred at under nine weeks and 119 occurred at 20 weeks or later in a pregnancy.

A total of 2,910 abortions occurred in 2018 in Missouri, according to provisional data provided by the agency. That includes 433 abortions at eight weeks of pregnancy and 267 at six weeks or earlier.

The bill also bans abortions based solely on race, sex or a diagnosis indicating the potential for Down syndrome.

It also requires a parent or guardian giving written consent for a minor to get an abortion to first notify the other parent, except if the other parent has been convicted of a violent or sexual crime, is subject to a protection order, is "habitually in an intoxicated or drugged condition," or lacks legal or physical custody. </s> JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Missouri Gov. Mike Parson on Friday signed a bill that bans abortions on or beyond the eighth week of pregnancy without exceptions for cases of rape or incest, making it among the most restrictive abortion policies in the United States.

Under the law that comes into force Aug. 28, doctors who violate the eight-week cut-off could face five to 15 years in prison. Women who terminate their pregnancies cannot be prosecuted. A legal challenge is expected, although it's unclear when that might occur.

The measure includes exceptions for medical emergencies, such as when there is a risk of death or permanent physical injuries to "a major bodily function of the pregnant woman."

But the lack of exceptions for women who find themselves pregnant after being raped or subjected to incest has drawn sharp criticism, including from wealthy GOP donor David Humphreys, a Missouri businessman, who had urged the Republican governor to veto the bill and called it "bad public policy."

The American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri said it was exploring "all options, including litigation, to block the law from going into effect." The organization's state legislative and policy director, Sara Baker, in a statement said the bill is "unconstitutional, and it must be stopped."

Missouri Right to Life called it "the strongest pro-life bill in Missouri history."

Missouri state House Democratic Minority Leader Crystal Quade said in a written statement the new law treats women "as little more than fetal incubators with no rights or role in the decision, even in cases of rape and incest."

Kentucky, Mississippi , Ohio and Georgia also have approved bans on abortions once fetal cardiac activity can be detected, which can occur in about the sixth week of pregnancy. Some of those laws have already been challenged in court, and similar restrictions in North Dakota and Iowa have been struck down by judges.

Missouri already has some of the country's most restrictive abortion regulations, including a requirement that doctors performing abortions have partnerships with nearby hospitals. Missouri is down to one clinic performing abortions, which is in St. Louis. </s> Missouri Gov. Mike Parson on Friday signed a bill that bans abortions on or beyond the eighth weeks of pregnancy without exceptions for cases of rape or incest, making it among the most restrictive abortion policies in the nation.

Under the law that comes into force Aug. 28, doctors who violate the eight-week cutoff could face five to 15 years in prison. A legal challenge is expected, although it's unclear when that might occur.

The measure includes exceptions for medical emergencies, such as when there is a risk of death or permanent physical injuries to "a major bodily function of the pregnant woman." But women who find themselves pregnant after being raped or subjected to incest will not be allowed to abort after eight weeks. Women who terminate their pregnancies cannot be prosecuted under the law.

When pressed last week on the rape and incest issue, Parson, a Republican, told reporters that "all life has value." President Donald Trump has said he supports exceptions in cases of rape and incest in abortion bans.

Missouri businessman David Humphreys, a wealthy Republican donor, had urged Parson to veto the bill.

"A bill this restrictive, without the opportunity for exceptions for rape and incest, is bad public policy and bad for Missourians," Humphreys had said in a statement Thursday.

Alabama's governor signed a bill on May 15 making performing an abortion a felony in nearly all cases. Supporters have said they hope to provoke a legal challenge that will eventually force the U.S. Supreme Court to revisit its landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that legalized abortion nationally.

Unlike Alabama's near-total abortion ban, lawmakers who helped draft the Missouri bill say it's meant to withstand court challenges instead of spark them. If the eight-week ban is struck down, the bill includes a ladder of less-restrictive time limits at 14, 18 or 20 weeks.

Missouri's bill also includes an outright ban on abortions except in cases of medical emergencies, but that would kick in only if Supreme Court's landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion is overturned.

Kentucky , Mississippi , Ohio and Georgia also have approved bans on abortions once fetal cardiac activity can be detected, which can occur in about the sixth week of pregnancy. Some of those laws already have been challenged in court, and similar restrictions in North Dakota and Iowa have been struck down by judges.

Missouri already has some of the nation's most restrictive abortion regulations, including a requirement that doctors performing abortions have partnerships with nearby hospitals. Missouri is down to one clinic performing abortions, which is in St. Louis.

A total of 3,903 abortions occurred in Missouri in 2017, the last full year for which the state Department of Health and Senior Services has statistics online. Of those, 1,673 occurred at under nine weeks and 119 occurred at 20 weeks or later in a pregnancy.

A total of 2,910 abortions occurred in 2018 in Missouri, according to the agency.

The bill also bans abortions based solely on race, sex or a diagnosis indicating the potential for Down syndrome.

It also requires a parent or guardian giving written consent for a minor to get an abortion to first notify the other parent, except if the other parent has been convicted of a violent or sexual crime, is subject to a protection order, is “habitually in an intoxicated or drugged condition,” or lacks legal or physical custody. </s> Missouri Governor Mike Parson has signed a bill which will make abortions illegal after the eighth week of pregnancy, joining five other US states that have recently adopted similar legislation.

Doctors who perform abortions in Missouri after the eight-week cutoff could face up to 15 years in prison under the new law, scheduled to come into effect on August 28. It does not provide for prosecution of expectant mothers who decide to end their own pregnancies.

The bill includes exemptions for medical emergencies, when there is risk of serious injury or death to the mother, though no exceptions are made for victims of incest or rape.

Out of the five similar bills that recently passed, only Georgia’s included the rape and incest exemption.

Alabama signed its own abortion ban into law last week, the “Human Life Protection Act,” which will criminalize the abortion procedure outright as a felony punishable up to 99 years in prison – applicable only to doctors. Alabama Governor Kay Ivey signed the bill almost immediately after it passed the state Senate.

Earlier this month, within days of one another, Ohio, Georgia and Mississippi passed a trio of “fetal heartbeat” laws, which prohibit abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, about the period of time before doctors can detect a heartbeat in a fetus.

Federal Judge Carlton Reeves blocked the Mississippi legislation on Friday, having previously struck down a proposed 15-week ban.

“Doesn't it boil down to six is less than 15?” Reeves asked at a hearing earlier this week, adding that the new bill “smacks of defiance to this court.”

A hub of the entertainment industry, Georgia’s law struck a particular chord with American celebrities, even prompting actress and #MeToo figurehead Alyssa Milano to call for a “sex strike,” apparently meant to shame pro-life men out of their politics by denying them sex.

A number of film and television production companies announced they would stop doing business in Georgia in response to the law.

Louisiana has yet to fully enact its prohibition, but two bills that have blazed through the state’s Senate, would do just that. In early May, the Louisiana Senate overwhelmingly approved another “heartbeat” bill 31-5, while a constitutional amendment that would remove protections for abortions more recently passed 31-4.

Other states such as Kansas and Vermont have moved to reaffirm legal protections for abortion, while some prosecutors in Georgia as well as Utah, where an 18-week ban passed earlier this year, said they would not enforce the new laws.

Like this story? Share it with a friend! </s> Missouri Governor Mike Parson signed a bill Friday banning abortions on or beyond the eighth week of pregnancy without exceptions for cases of rape or incest, making it the latest state to induce broad new restrictions on women seeking the procedure.

The law, which takes effect August 28, will punish doctors who violate the eight-week cutoff with five to 15 years in prison. Proponents of women's right to access safe, legal abortions are expected to challenge the law in court, though it's unclear when that will happen.

The measure includes exceptions for medical emergencies, such as when there is a risk of death or permanent physical injuries to 'a major bodily function of the pregnant woman.'

But women and girls who become pregnant after being raped or as a result of incest will not be allowed to abort after eight weeks. Women who terminate their pregnancies cannot be prosecuted under the law.

When pressed last week on the rape and incest issue, Parson, a Republican, told reporters that 'all life has value.' President Donald Trump has said he supports exceptions in cases of rape and incest in abortion bans.

Missouri businessman David Humphreys, a wealthy Republican donor, had urged Parson to veto the bill.

'A bill this restrictive, without the opportunity for exceptions for rape and incest, is bad public policy and bad for Missourians,' Humphreys said in a statement Thursday.

The bill passed in the state House last week, but not before a Republican lawmaker said that most sexual assaults are either 'date rapes or consensual rapes' as he sought to defend the proposal.

Representative Barry Hovis, a former police officer who took office earlier this year, made the comments while discussing his experience in that role handling rape cases, according to The Kansas City Star.

He said that 'most of the rapes' he encountered in law enforcement didn't involve 'gentlemen jumping out of the bushes.'

'Most of them were date rapes or consensual rapes,' Hovis said. 'Which were all terrible, but I'd sit in court when juries would struggle with those situations, where it was a 'he-said-she-said,' which was unfortunate if it really happened.'

His comments drew swift criticism from women and Democrats in the chamber.

'There is no such thing – no such thing – as consensual rape,' Representative Raychel Proudie said moments after his remarks.

Hovis, who represents the city of Jackson in the Southeastern region of the state, later amended his comments, telling The Kansas City Star that he misspoke and agreeing that 'there is no such thing as consensual rape.'

His remarks drew comparisons to former Missouri Congressman Todd Akin, a Republican and anti-abortion activist whose career in American politics ended shortly after he used the phrase 'legitimate rape' with a local news reporter.

'If it's a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down,' Akin said in 2012.

Alabama's governor signed a bill May 15 making performing an abortion a felony in nearly all cases. Supporters have said they hope to provoke a legal challenge that will eventually force the U.S. Supreme Court to revisit its landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that legalized abortion nationally.

That state's actions have drawn wide-spread protests and raised fear among those seeking to protect abortion rights, with many saying that a Supreme Court challenge to Roe v. Wade - the landmark 1973 court ruling that legalized abortion - is imminent at a time when Trump has place two anti-abortion justices on the bench.

Unlike Alabama's near-total abortion ban, lawmakers who helped draft the Missouri bill say it's meant to withstand court challenges instead of spark them. If the eight-week ban is struck down, the bill includes a ladder of less-restrictive time limits at 14, 18 or 20 weeks.

Missouri's bill also includes an outright ban on abortions except in cases of medical emergencies, but that would kick in only if Supreme Court's landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion is overturned.

Kentucky, Mississippi, Ohio and Georgia also have approved bans on abortions once fetal cardiac activity can be detected, which can occur in about the sixth week of pregnancy. Some of those laws already have been challenged in court (Kentucky's was blocked by a judge), and similar restrictions in North Dakota and Iowa have been struck down by judges.

Missouri already has some of the nation's most restrictive abortion regulations, including a requirement that doctors performing abortions have partnerships with nearby hospitals. Missouri is down to one clinic performing abortions, which is in St. Louis.

A total of 3,903 abortions occurred in Missouri in 2017, the last full year for which the state Department of Health and Senior Services has statistics online. Of those, 1,673 occurred at under nine weeks and 119 occurred at 20 weeks or later in a pregnancy.

In addition, 2,910 abortions occurred in the state in 2018, according to the agency.

The bill also bans abortions based solely on race, sex or a diagnosis indicating the potential for Down syndrome.

It also requires a parent or guardian giving written consent for a minor to get an abortion to first notify the other parent, except if the other parent has been convicted of a violent or sexual crime, is subject to a protection order, is 'habitually in an intoxicated or drugged condition,' or lacks legal or physical custody. </s> Missouri Gov. Mike Parson signed a bill on Friday that criminalizes abortions in the state after eight weeks of pregnancy, the latest in a series of sweeping restrictions passed by Republican-controlled legislatures that now threaten nearly 50 years of federal protections for abortion.

Under the law, any person who performs an abortion after eight weeks — which is often before many women are aware they are pregnant — could be charged with a Class B felony punishable by five to 15 years in prison.

The final version of the legislation does not have exceptions for victims of rape or incest. It does have a carve-out for cases of medical emergencies.

Parson, a Republican who has said he would like to make Missouri "the most Pro-Life state in the country," is the latest conservative governor to sign a far-reaching abortion restriction into law, presenting yet another possible challenge to Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 ruling establishing a woman's right to have an abortion. The Missouri Senate approved the measure just one day after Alabama's governor, Republican Kay Ivey, signed a bill that bans nearly all abortions and makes no exception for cases of incest or rape.

Supporters of the Missouri legislation say it is distinctive from the Alabama law in one significant way: It was not written to topple Roe v. Wade. Rather, its backers say, it's aimed at curbing abortions within the bounds of the law.

"We do not want to run through the courts and try to overturn Roe v. Wade like some of the legislators in other states, like Alabama. We just want to save as many lives as we can while withstanding judicial challenges," Missouri Rep. Nick Schroer, a Republican sponsor of the bill, told NPR. "We want to get as close to the line as possible on what previous judges have thrown out."

Other states, including Ohio, Kentucky, Georgia and Mississippi, have recently passed bills that forbid abortions when a heartbeat is detected.

The Missouri law stipulates that if an abortion within the eight-week window is performed, the woman needs to be given the opportunity to view an ultrasound, but it is not mandatory that she view it.

The bill, HB 126, known as the Missouri Stands for the Unborn Act, passed both chambers of the General Assembly last week. Under the bill, women will be able to terminate a pregnancy after eight weeks only if they meet the law's definition of a medical emergency, which lawmakers defined as something that "so complicates the medical condition of a pregnant woman as to necessitate the immediate abortion of her pregnancy to avert the death of the pregnant woman or for which a delay will create a serious risk of substantial and irreversible physical impairment."

Before the bill's passage, protesters' shouts of "When you lie, people die" filled the chamber before they were escorted out of the building.

Over more than two hours of debate, Republicans and Democrats delivered forceful arguments about the bill, with Democrats — at times yelling and at other moments sobbing — attempting to persuade the body to reject the measure.

"This gives more rights to the rapists than it does to the mother," said Rep. Doug Beck, a Democrat. "This law is barbaric."

Rep. Barbara Washington, another Democratic legislator, criticized the law.

"This bill is not about pro-life; it is about anti-choice," Washington said. "Any time we are so disrespectful and immoral that we would force a woman to bring to life a child that is the result of a rape, an incest or sex trafficking, we are not thinking about life."

One moment of the debate lit up social media when Rep. Barry Hovis, a Republican and former police officer, shared his own experience investigating rape cases.

"Most of my rapes were not the gentlemen jumping out of the bushes that nobody had ever met. That was one or two times out of a hundred. Most of them were date rapes or consensual rapes, which were all terrible," he said.

After a public backlash from Democrats and legions on social media, Hovis apologized, saying he misspoke.

At a press briefing on Friday, reporters asked the governor why he supported an abortion ban that does not create exceptions for rape or incest victims; he deflected the question.

"Because I'm the governor of the state of Missouri, and that's what I do. If legislators send a bill to me, I'm going to sign it," Parson said. "I believe in the pro-life side of the issue," he said. "Does it meet what I believe to be constitutional in our state? I believe this piece of legislation does."

President Trump promised in his 2016 campaign to appoint Supreme Court justices who would undo Roe, but whether the slate of state bills striving to do that will be successful is uncertain.

With the U.S. Supreme Court now composed of five Republican-appointed justices who may be willing to reexamine long-standing precedent, the high court may someday accept a case that could alter the landmark case, though legal experts are doubtful the court will review such a case before the 2020 election. </s> A federal judge has temporarily blocked a new Missouri ban on abortions after eight weeks of pregnancy on Tuesday, a day before it was set to be implemented.

U.S. District Judge Howard Sachs put a pause on the law as a legal challenge, led by Planned Parenthood and the American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri, against it plays out in court.

'The various sections specifying prohibitions on abortions at various weeks prior to viability cannot be allowed to go into effect on August 28, as scheduled,' Judge Sachs said in an 11-page opinion.

'However formulated, the legislation on its face conflicts with the Supreme Court ruling that neither legislative or judicial limits on abortion can be measured by specified weeks or development of a fetus; instead, "viability" is the sole test for a State's authority to prohibit abortions where there is no maternal health issue,' he added.

In May Missouri legislators passed the 'Missouri Stands for the Unborn' act which makes abortion at or after the eight-week mark illegal, as a part of a greater challenge of U.S. abortion laws.

Planned Parenthood and the ACLU of Missouri filed their lawsuit in late July, arguing the law is unconstitutional and goes against the landmark 1973 U.S. Supreme Court Roe v. Wade ruling that legalized abortion nationwide.

The Tuesday ruling follows similar struck down legislation in North Dakota and Iowa and blocked abortion restrictions in Arkansas and Ohio.

The 'Missouri Stands for the Unborn' act includes exceptions for medical emergencies, but not for rape or incest.

If courts don't uphold the eight-week ban, the measure includes a series of less-restrictive bans ranging from 14 weeks up to 20 weeks.

The policy also bans abortions based solely on race, sex or a diagnosis indicating the potential for Down syndrome.

The law would also penalize medical professionals who perform abortions after eight weeks into a pregnancy with up to 15 years in prison.

The act is controversial as most women don't even know they're pregnant eight weeks into pregnancy. Furthermore it establishes the time frame for an abortion well before the 24-week viability standard established by Roe vs. Wade.

Attorneys for the state can appeal the judge's ruling.

They argue that courts have allowed limits on abortions based on the gestational age of the fetus. In court documents, they told the judge that the state's goal is 'protecting fetal life' as well as protecting women. D

uring a court hearing Monday, Missouri Solicitor General John Sauer's argument centered on his contention that Planned Parenthood and the ACLU do not have standing to challenge the law.

Federal law allows states to prohibit abortions after fetuses are viable outside the womb, which can be from 24 to 28 weeks.

Missouri's law also includes an outright ban on abortions except in cases of medical emergencies, but that would take effect only if Roe v. Wade is overturned.

Missouri already has some of the nation's most restrictive abortion regulations. Just one clinic in the state performs abortions. </s> Federal Judge Blocks Parts Of Missouri Law That Bans Abortions After 8 Weeks

Portions of a Missouri law banning abortions after eight weeks of pregnancy were blocked by a federal judge just a day before the legislation was to go into effect.

U.S. District Judge Howard Sachs issued the order halting the law, which also means that any physician who performs an abortion after eight weeks could face prison time and have their license suspended or revoked.

"While federal courts should generally be very cautious before delaying the effect of state laws, the sense of caution may be mitigated when the legislation seems designed, as here, as a protest against Supreme Court decisions," Sachs wrote in his opinion.

Sachs denied a full preliminary injunction on technical grounds, but his ruling achieved what he called the "desired result" sought by Planned Parenthood for now.

The legislation that Republican Gov. Mike Parson signed in May does have an exception for medical emergencies, but not for victims of rape or incest.

Planned Parenthood filed suit to halt the law last month, and its lawyers told the court that the legislation would mean "patients will be subject to significant and irreparable constitutional, medical, emotional, and other harms for which no adequate remedy at law exists."

The ruling follows several other federal court decisions that have prevented the implementation of restrictive abortion laws in states such as Ohio and Mississippi. Many laws criminalize the procedure as soon as cardiac activity can be detected — as early as six weeks, which is before many women even know they're pregnant.

Anti-abortion rights activists are hoping that legal challenges to one of the state laws will reach the U.S. Supreme Court in an effort to overturn the constitutional right to an abortion established by the landmark 1973 ruling in Roe v. Wade.

In its July lawsuit, the clinic, Reproductive Health Services of Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region, said the Missouri law would "directly violate long-standing Supreme Court precedent," calling it "Missouri's unrelenting campaign to deny patients the health care they seek and to which they are entitled."

The state's law was written with an eye toward banning the procedure as early as the courts will allow it. If an 8-week ban is thrown out, the law includes a cascading series of 14-, 18-, and 20-week abortion bans that could take effect instead.

"The hostility to, and refusal to comply with, the Supreme Court's abortion jurisprudence is most obviously demonstrated in the attempt to push 'viability' protection downward in various weekly stages to 8 weeks," the judge wrote, referring to how the state crafted the law.

In a separate process, the fate of the last remaining clinic that provides abortions in Missouri remains uncertain. Parson's administration says the clinic is not meeting state health regulations.

Planned Parenthood officials say they have done all they can to comply, but that the rules are being arbitrarily enforced for political reasons.

A hearing in that matter is planned for October.
The Governor of Missouri Mike Parson signs House Bill 126 into law, effective on August 28, 2019, bans all abortions in the state of Missouri at or beyond 8 weeks of pregnancy, except in cases of medical emergencies. Persons who perform abortion in the state after 8 weeks of pregnancy face 5 to 15 years in prison.