Jefferson City, MO (LifeNews.com) -- A leading pro-life group in Missouri is renewing its call from last month for pro-life Gov. Matt Blunt to call the legislature into a special session. Missouri Right to Life wants the governor to ask lawmakers to debate and vote on a bill that would prohibit forced abortions.

In April, the Missouri House approved HB 1831 on a 113-33 third reading vote.

But, the Missouri Senate came under fire for spending just five minutes debating the forced abortion bill.

The bill makes it a crime to pressure or coerce a woman into having an abortion and anyone found guilty of doing so would receive a maximum of five years in prison and a $1,000 fine.
The legislation also contains other sections helping pregnant women, including one that prohibits colleges and universities from revoking athletic scholarships form pregnant students.

Pam Fichter, the president of Missouri Right to Life, tells LifeNews.com it wants Blunt to call for a special legislative session to run concurrently with the veto session in September.

Fichter points out that Blunt repeatedly said during the session that he supported the bill against coerced abortions. She said Right to Life's idea for a concurrent special session also makes financial sense for the state.

"A concurrent session will allow the legislature to take up this life-saving legislation with minimal, if any, cost to the taxpayer," she said.

She said both Blunt and the legislature would be helping Missouri women by doing so.

"The Missouri legislature's failure to pass HB 1831 during the regular session of the 2008 Missouri General Assembly handed the abortion industry an unexpected gift," she said.

"This legislation would have protected women from being coerced into an abortion, allowed those considering an abortion to have more information on fetal pain, and required that they be offered the opportunity to view an ultrasound image," Fichter added.

ACTION: Contact Governor Blunt at 573-751-3222 or http://www.gov.mo.gov/constituentform.htm

Related web sites:
Missouri Right to Life - http://www.missourilife.org