JEFFERSON CITY – Senate Leader Tom Dempsey, R-St. Charles, is speaking out against the governor’s veto of important pro-life legislation that passed the Senate by an overwhelming margin. House Bill 1307 & 1313, extended the waiting period before an abortion can be performed. Dempsey said this legislation was one of the session’s greatest successes, and it would’ve protected women who were being pressured into a hasty decision regarding their pregnancy.
“We have a duty to protect the lives of the unborn and to provide help to any woman who finds herself in such a desperate situation. The extended waiting period called for in our bill would have afforded women struggling with difficult circumstances with time to access pregnancy resource centers and consider alternatives to abortion, such as adoption,” said Dempsey. “As a pro-life legislator, I believe that every life is valuable. A compassionate society is one that gives the benefit of time to a woman who may be pressured by others to make a quick decision. Giving her the protection of the law to make up her mind after considering all the options is the least we can do.”
Bill handler, Sen. David Sater, R-Cassville, said abortion is a matter of life and death.
“This is an irreversible and permanent decision, and taking the time to think about the consequences is not unreasonable,” said Sater. “Elected officials must remember that unborn children are not abstractions to play politics with. They are human beings like you and me, and deserve protection under the law. I firmly believe that most Missourians do not think three days is too much time to decide whether to bring a child into this world.”
House Bill 1307 & 1313 passed with overwhelming majorities in both the Senate and the House. The General Assembly will convene for the annual veto session on Sept. 10, 2014. At that time, the Legislature can attempt to override the governor’s vetoes. To learn more about these bills and other bills or to track their progress, visit www.senate.mo.gov.
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Lauren Hieger , Senate Majority Caucus Communications Director
(573) 751-7266 – lauren.hieger@senate.mo.gov
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