JEFFERSON CITY — Missouri’s attorney general and governor moved quickly Friday to cut off access to abortion in the state following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
Within minutes of the high court’s ruling, Attorney General Eric Schmitt issued an opinion to the Missouri Revisor of Statutes that triggers parts of a 2019 law, effectively ending abortion in the state of Missouri.
Schmitt, a candidate for U.S. Senate, said Missouri became the first state in the country to do so.
The Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade on Friday sent shockwaves through the greater Ƶ region, an island of abortion acc…
“Today, following the United States Supreme Court’s ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade, with the issuance of an attorney general opinion, my office has yet again reinforced Missouri’s dedication to protecting the sanctity of life, both born and unborn,” Schmitt said.
Gov. Mike Parson, a Republican like Schmitt, followed suit not long after, issuing his own proclamation on the issue.
“Nothing in the text, history, or tradition of the United States Constitution gave un-elected federal judges authority to regulate abortion. We are happy that the U.S. Supreme Court has corrected this error and returned power to the people and the states to make these decisions,” Parson said.
The 2019 law sponsored by Rep. , a St. Charles County Republican, started out as a ban on most abortions once a fetal heartbeat can be detected. But as part of national effort by anti-abortion forces, the bill was quickly loaded with amendments that would toughen the state’s already restrictive abortion laws in other ways.
The law prohibits abortion after eight weeks of gestation unless there is a critical medical reason. There are no exceptions for rape, incest or human trafficking.
The law also bans a woman from aborting a fetus that might have Down syndrome. It also requires both parents or guardians to be notified before minors can get an abortion, in most cases.
And it includes the trigger ban on abortion if the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision is overturned, as it was Friday. Twelve other states have adopted trigger laws, including four of Missouri’s neighbors: Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee and Kentucky.
Schmitt said abortion is now outlawed in the state, except in cases of medical emergency.
As part of a sustained effort by Republicans who control Missouri’s House and Senate, laws and regulations have already made abortion a rarity in the state.
Since peaking at more than 20,000 per year in the 1980s, the number of abortions in Missouri dropped to fewer than 200 a year because of limited access. Many women now travel to out-of-state clinics, including two in the Metro East, for the procedure.
Reaction from Missouri politicians also was swift.
“This is a momentous day in America. One of the most unjust decisions in American history has been overturned,” said Republican U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley.
Former Gov. Eric Greitens, who is running for U.S. Senate, called the ruling a “huge victory.”
“Life is the most precious gift from our Creator and is always worthy of protection, especially the unborn who are the most vulnerable,” Greitens said.
Democrat Trudy Busch Valentine, who is running for U.S. Senate, condemned the decision.
“This decision takes us backwards 50 years and lessens women’s independence and our rights. It especially affects the most vulnerable amongst us. Reproductive health care decisions are a woman’s to make, and I will fight to protect our rights, to respect our intelligence and our choice, and to always advocate for our equality. We’ve come too far to turn back the clock,” Valentine said.
Lucas Kunce, another Democrat seeking the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Roy Blunt next year, said Congress should codify Roe v. Wade to restore abortion rights.
“We cannot let this stand. We need to take our power back. When I am in the Senate, I will fight like hell to guarantee access to abortion for every Missourian,” Kunce said.
Restrictions adopted by state lawmakers since Roe v. Wade and upheld by the courts had already largely eliminated the procedure in Missouri.
In the Missouri Legislature, House Minority Leader Crystal Quade, D-Springfield, said the ruling is a sign that Missourians must elect more lawmakers who will protect “basic rights.”
“Republicans will not stop with abortion. They will begin stripping away access to birth control and contraception, in vitro fertilization and marriage equality,” Quade warned.
Ƶ Mayor Tishaura O. Jones said in a statement the ruling “doesn’t change the fact that 7 in 10 Missourians support the right to an abortion. It does not change the fact that in states like ours, we’ve already been living a post-Roe reality, with thousands traveling out of state for abortions. As devastating as this moment is for families across the country, Ƶans are ready to take action to protect our rights until Congress steps in to do what it should have done decades ago: codify Roe into law.”