Missouri’s governor Wednesday vetoed a bill that would have forced pregnant women to wait 72 hours before getting an abortion, calling the measure “extreme” and “disrespectful” to rape and incest victims.
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Gov. Jay Nixon, a Democrat, chastised the legislature for not including an exception for sexual assault victims in striking down the bill, which passed in the House 111-39 and in the Senate 22-9 in May. The bill would have extended Missouri’s existing 24-hour wait time between a physician’s exam and an abortion to 72 hours.
By not including an exception for rape and incest, the governor said the bill “demonstrates a callous disregard for women who find themselves in horrific circumstances.”
IN-DEPTH
- Nixon Vetoes 72-Hour Waiting Period For Abortions in Missouri (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
- Gov. Jay Nixon Vetoes 72-Hour Abortion Waiting Period in Missouri (Kansas City Star)