Missouri enacts more protections for babies

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson on Friday signed into law legislation that protects unborn babies beyond the eighth week of pregnancy. Abortion providers who abort babies after eight weeks could face five to 15 years in prison under the law, which goes into effect Aug. 28. The law includes exceptions for medical emergencies, but not for rape or incest. There is no punishment for women who seek an abortion. When asked about the lack of exceptions for rape or incest, Parson, a Republican, said that “all life has value.”

The law also includes a clause that would ban all abortions if the U.S. Supreme Court overturned its 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, which led to legalized abortion nationwide. Missouri’s new law also stipulates that a parent or guardian must give written consent for a minor to get an abortion in most cases, and a baby cannot be aborted based only on race, sex, or a Down syndrome diagnosis.