Missouri Democratic leader introduces bill to repeal state’s near-total ban on abortion

Missouri House Minority Leader Crystal Quade filed a bill Tuesday that would repeal the state’s near-total ban on abortion.

The Springfield Democrat’s bill is largely symbolic and unlikely to pass during the Republican-dominated General Assembly’s special session on tax cuts. It represents a lawmaker’s first attempt to nullify the ban since it went into effect in June minutes after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.

“Preventing the state from imposing forced pregnancies on unwilling Missourians is a top priority; pushing through a fiscally irresponsible tax cut for the wealthy when nearly every area of state government is underfunded is not,” Quade said in an emailed statement.

“Try though they might, the governor and majority Republicans won’t be able to change the subject from their record of disdain for individual freedom.”

Missouri’s 2019 abortion ban, which bars the procedure in nearly all cases except for a medical emergency, does not include exceptions for rape and incest.

Abortion activists and doctors have criticized the law as being too vague and say it will force women to carry unsafe pregnancies or travel out of state to get the procedure. They also argue it puts an unnecessary strain on doctors who have to perform an abortion to save a woman’s life.

Quade’s bill aligns with state Democrats’ message that Parson’s special session is an attempt to distract voters from the abortion ban.

Emily Wales, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Plains Votes, said in a statement that her organization supported the bill. She said the right to an abortion should not be determined by politicians.

“It’s clear people across the country are recognizing just how out of step anti-abortion politicians are with those they have sworn to serve, and Missouri is no different,” the statement said. “We support any effort to restore fundamental rights for Missourians, because care that is not local is not accessible.”

State Rep. Mary Elizabeth Coleman, an Arnold Republican and ardent anti-abortion advocate, on Tuesday criticized Quade in a text message. She also championed the GOP-controlled legislature’s ongoing attempt to cut taxes during special session.

“Representative Quade continues to demonstrate how out of touch the Democratic super minority is calling for Missouri to allow abortion at any age, for any reason right up to the child’s birthday,” Coleman said in the text message.

“Rep. Quade has filed a pro-abortion measure that is so extreme that it would give permission to doctors to abort unborn children because of their race or sex, or because they might have Down syndrome. It would deny both parents the right to know when their daughter is considering abortion. Her radical bill would normalize late-term abortions when the unborn baby can feel pain. This bill is going nowhere and is a political publicity stunt which will backfire.”

Samuel Lee, a Jefferson City anti-abortion lobbyist, in a text message to The Star, painted Quade’s bill as extreme legislation that would allow doctors to perform abortions for various reasons like race or sex.

“It would deny both parents the right to know when their daughter is considering abortion,” the text message said. “Her radical bill would normalize late-term abortions when the unborn baby can feel pain. This bill is going nowhere and is a political publicity stunt which will backfire.”

Parson called on lawmakers to return to Jefferson City to pass an income tax cut and agricultural tax credits for farmers. The Republican governor would have to expand the special session to include abortion for Quade’s bill to pass — which he has already rejected.

Top Missouri Democrats had previously had Parson for a special session to clarify whether the abortion ban prohibited access to emergency contraceptives like Plan B. The Republican governor denied the request in July.

A spokesperson for Parson did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.