Missouri 5th State to Opt Out of Taxpayer-Funded Abortion; New Law Includes Significant Informed Consent Enhancements
WASHINGTON, July 14 /
Christian Newswire/ -- Today, Missouri Governor Jay Nixon will allow SB 793 to become law without his signature, which will significantly enhance the state's informed consent protections for pregnant women and make Missouri the fifth state to opt-out of the abortion mandate in the federal health care law.
"We applaud our allies in the Missouri legislature for dramatically enhancing the informed consent protections for women in Missouri and making Missouri the fifth state to opt out of taxpayer-funded abortion," said Dr. Charmaine Yoest, President & CEO, Americans United for Life. "This new law protects women, their unborn children, and taxpayers making it a win for everyone in the state."
AUL's State Director Kerry Messer worked extensively with Senate sponsor Rob Mayer on the legislation. Sen. Mayer stated:
"Throughout my career, I have had a strong pro-life record, and today is really a big leap forward in protecting the lives of the unborn. I truly believe that anyone who can hear the heartbeat of these children, or see the pain the child goes through, and is told about the many options they have, will ultimately choose life."
The new informed consent law includes many new provisions, including:
• Women must be advised of the risks of abortion, given information about the physiological characteristics of their unborn child, be presented with what resources are available to women who choose to bring their child to term, and the information can only be given to a woman by a physician or qualified professional.
• Women must be given the opportunity to view an ultrasound, learn about the pain an unborn child may feel during a later term abortion, and to have access to a telephone if she is at the abortion facility under duress from a third party.
• Insurance plans in the soon-to-be-created federal health care exchanges which are subsidized by taxpayer dollars cannot offer abortion coverage in their health plans
Americans United for Life (AUL) is a nonprofit, public-interest law and policy organization whose vision is a nation in which everyone is welcomed in life and protected in law. The first national pro-life organization in America, AUL has been committed to defending human life through vigorous judicial, legislative, and educational efforts at both the federal and state levels since 1971.
AUL's legal team has been involved in every pro-life case before the U.S. Supreme Court including the successful defense of the Hyde Amendment. AUL also publishes Defending Life, the most comprehensive state-by-state legal guide of its kind, which is distributed annually to legislators across the nation.
Recently, Americans United for Life detailed the facts on taxpayer-funding of abortion during the debate over federal health care legislation, provided legal assistance to states working to opt out of abortion provisions created by federal health care law, and has played a major role in educating policymakers on the record of Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan.
