Missouri's Proposed Abortion Bill

In May, 2019, Missouri Representative Nick Shroer formed legislation that would ban abortions after eight weeks. Despite being signed into effect by Governor Mike Parsons, the bill was blocked by a district judge, Howard Sachs, and never went into effect. In July 2021, the Missouri Attorney General, Eric Schmitt, appealed to the US Supreme Court in an attempt to revitalize the ban. In March 2022, Missouri Representative Mary Elizabeth Coleman, in a move that evoked the similar Texas bill, included a provision that everyday citizens are allowed to sue individuals they believe have received an abortion and went so far as to apply this rhetoric to out-of-state abortions as well. Anyone found guilty of having an abortion would face a felony conviction with jail time. Missouri is the first state to include out of state restrictions in their abortion ban, and if passed, may set a precedent that will leave thousands of women at risk. Missouri legislators also included that terminating an ectopic pregnancy would also be illegal. An ectopic pregnancy is where the fetus is growing inside of the fallopian tubes, and will not survive the pregnancy. If left untreated, women are at risk for severe internal bleeding. As the Supreme Court debates the fate of Roe v. Wade, conservative representatives will continue to push the limits in their attack on women's reproductive rights.