The following is a news release from Missouri Right to Life:
Missouri House Passes Late Term Abortion Ban
Today, March 17th, 2011 the Missouri House of Representatives passed HB 213, The Ban on Late-Term Abortions, sponsored by Rep. Tim Jones. HB 213 prohibits abortions on unborn children after 20 weeks gestation, a point at which an unborn child is fully capable of feeling pain. The bill passed the Missouri House by a vote of 119-38.
“Missouri Right to Life applauds the Missouri House of Representatives for their timely passage of HB 213. Scientific evidence tells us that an unborn baby at 20 weeks of age has all body systems working, reacts to stimuli, can hear noises outside the womb and recognizes her mother’s voice. Testimony from the medical community tells us that unborn children of this age are able to feel pain,” said Pam Fichter, President of Missouri Right to Life.
“Missouri Right to Life began working on the passage of this legislation in mid-2010. We were motivated by the passage of the Nebraska Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act in 2010. That legislation, written by The National Right to Life Committee, banned abortion in Nebraska past 20 weeks and caused abortionist Roy Carhart to move his late-term abortion business to other states. Missouri Right to Life considers this its primary piece of legislation,” Fichter continued.
“While abortion at any stage of development is an offense against human dignity, certainly we can all agree that subjecting unborn children to the horrible pain of abortion is unacceptable in a civilized society. Unborn children are the most vulnerable members of the human family and cannot speak for themselves. Our shared humanity compels us to protect the most vulnerable among us, and we are grateful to Rep. Jones and all the Democrats and Republicans who supported this legislation” concluded Fichter.
The Senate version of this bill, SB 65, sponsored by President Pro Tem Senator Robert Mayer, passed out of the Senate General Laws Committee on March 8, 2011. It is awaiting debate on the Senate calendar.