Missouri House, Senate Panels Back Legislation to Reduce Abortions 
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by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
September 8, 2005
Jefferson City, MO (LifeNews.com) — House and Senate committees in the Missouri state legislature have both approved legislation seeking to reduce the number of abortions there by protecting the health of women and further involving parents in helping teens choose abortion alternatives.
The Senate committee approved its version of the bill Thursday and the House committee signed off on its own measure Wednesday.
The bills each feature two key provisions.
One prevents adults other than a minor girl’s parents from taking her to another state for an abortion. One abortion business in Illinois, across the border from St. Louis, targets teenagers for abortions there because Illinois has no law requiring parents to be notified about the abortion beforehand.
The House committee heard testimony from Shawn Reagan of Wood River, who said she wept s she talked with staff at the Hope Clinic abortion facility in Granite City, Illinois. The staff refused to let her talk to her 14 year-old daughter who was inside the facility preparing for an abortion.
Reagan knows the bill won’t affect Illinois law, but she hopes it helps Missouri teens and parents who may face a similar situation as her.
"I only hope that Illinois will follow suit," she said.
The other provision requires abortion practitioners to have admitting privileges in a local hospital within a 30 mile radius of the abortion facility. That way, a woman who suffers from a botched abortion can be taken quickly to a local medical facility for emergency treatment.
"We’ve given parents a right in Missouri that is nullified by the state of Illinois," said Sen. John Loudon, a Republican senator who is the lead sponsor of the Senate bill.
The bill "will protect women, will protect parental rights and we believe it will save many lives," Susan Klein, of Missouri Right to Life, told the Associated Press.
Sen. Joan Bray, a Democrat, has sponsored legislation to force the state to spend more money on family planning services as opposed to helping crisis pregnancy centers that support pregnant women. The legislation is not expected to receive approval from the state legislature during the special session.
Related web sites:
Missouri state legislature – https://www.moga.mo.gov
