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> 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> 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> JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Gov. Mike Parson has signed a bill banning abortions after eight weeks of pregnancy, joining several states in a legislative movement pushing back against Roe v. Wade.

The bill was sent to the governor’s desk after the Missouri House passed it in a 110-44 vote. The passage of the bill drew thousands in both support and protest in Kansas City.

Missouri is just one of several states who have either passed legislation or have attempted to pass legislation to combat the current federal abortion law set by Roe v. Wade.

Planned Parenthood Advocates in Missouri tweeted shortly after the signing was announced, chastizing the governor for his action on the bill.

“He has put the health & lives of Missouri women at risk,” the tweet states. </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> 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> 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, whose provisions also call for physicians who perform an abortion after eight weeks to face possible 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. He left in place — at least for now — prohibitions on abortion for reasons of race, sex or a suspected diagnosis of Down syndrome in the fetus.

The legislation that Republican Gov. Mike Parson signed in May has 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."

In a statement, Kristan Hawkins of the anti-abortion rights group Students for Life called Tuesday's ruling "a travesty of justice and an insult to the democratic process."

Alexis McGill Johnson, acting president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, welcomed the decision blocking a law that she called "harmful."

"What little abortion access in Missouri is left, will stay in place for the time being. In the meantime, we cannot ignore the part of this law that remains in place, which allows politicians to interfere with the patient-provider relationship," she said.

But Marjorie Dannenfelser, the president of the Susan B. Anthony List, an anti-abortion group, criticized the judge's decision.

"Missouri is a strongly pro-life state and lawmakers acted on their constituents' will when they passed landmark protections for unborn children and their mothers," Dannenfelser said. "We are extremely disappointed in today's ruling which blocks limits on abortion, even late-term abortions at 20 weeks of pregnancy when the child can feel excruciating pain."

Sachs' ruling follows several other federal court decisions that have barred restrictive abortion laws from being implemented in states such as Ohio and Mississippi. Many of those laws criminalize the procedure as soon as heartbeat 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 eight-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 the way 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. </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.