JEFFERSON CITY — Since Roe v. Wade in 1973, over 52 million abortions have been performed in the United States. 9,027 abortions were performed in Missouri in 2012. That is 9,027 too many and 9,027 opportunities to save a life. Thinking about these numbers last summer, it occurred to me that while we have made progress in reducing the number of abortions in Missouri; we still have important work to do. This led me to introduce Senate Bill 519. This is a common-sense, pro-life bill that would extend Missouri’s waiting period for an abortion to 72 hours.

More than half the states, including Missouri, currently require a 24-hour waiting period before an abortion can be performed. Missouri also has an informed consent law which specifies that women, during this 24-hour waiting period, must receive information about the development of their unborn child and about the methods and risks of abortion. Mothers also receive information about adoption and have the opportunity to view an ultrasound and hear the heartbeat of her child. The idea behind informed consent is that a decision as important as ending a life deserves time for deliberate and informed consideration.

Over the past few years, two states have extended their waiting period to 72 hours. Utah took this step in 2012 and South Dakota passed it in 2011. The decision to abort a child is a life-changing and irreversible one. An additional 48 hours gives a mother time to process the information she receives through the informed consent process or time to seek help and advice from family members or a counselor. It is also not uncommon for women to be coerced or pressured into getting an abortion. Whether it’s a boyfriend, family member, or abortion advocate, a woman can feel intense pressure to make a decision before she is ready. Women are ultimately the ones who have to live with the consequences of this decision and should be free from pressure or coercion.

In the committee hearing on SB 519 a few weeks ago, we heard powerful testimony from a woman who made the decision to abort her child when she was 17 and later came to deeply regret that decision. She said during her testimony that "No one told me the risks. I didn't have time to think about it. Twenty-four hours is not enough time." This woman is now a nurse at a pregnancy crisis center where she helps women in the same situation she found herself in many years ago. No abortions are performed at her center but they do encourage and help women bring their pregnancies to full term.

This woman also told the story of a young mother who was referred to her by Planned Parenthood for an ultrasound before a scheduled abortion the next day. She said the woman described how others were pressuring her to have an abortion - but she never said that she wanted to go through with it. She told the committee that just before the hearing she received a call from a co-worker at the pregnancy center that the woman had reconsidered her decision to have that abortion and planned to come back to the center to talk more about the options available to her to and her child.

Courts have consistently upheld waiting period laws, affirming that a wait before an abortion is not unreasonable. In 1992, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld Pennsylvania's 24-hour waiting period law and in that decision the court found that it is important to give a woman sufficient time to think about her decision.

My bill, SB 519, provides time for reflection and furthers Missouri’s interest in the life of the child and the consequences of this decision on the child and the mother. It is my hope that my colleagues see the necessity of taking this important step and make Missouri an example to follow in the fight to protect life.

As always, I welcome your ideas, questions and concerns about Missouri government. You may contact me at the State Capitol as follows: (573) 751-1480, david.sater@senate.mo.gov or by writing to Senator David Sater, Missouri State Capitol, Room 433, Jefferson City, MO 65101.