Area lawmakers showing a united front on abortion issue in Missouri

There is no dissension among area legislators when it comes to tougher restrictions on abortion in Missouri. All look forward to what may be a pivotal court date in late September, which may forbid abortions after the eighth week of pregnancy.

Wayne Wallingford

The Missouri General Assembly passed House Bill 126, the "Missouri Stands for the Unborn Act" by 108-46 vote May 24, 2019. The measure, considered by abortion rights groups at the time as one of the toughest state laws in the country, did not allow exemptions for rape or incest survivors. Violation was termed a class B felony. The bill also sought to ban abortions solely based on a Down syndrome diagnosis.

A federal judge blocked the bill from being implemented the day before it was to become law.

A three-judge panel of the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the injunction.

Missouri Attorney General and U.S. Senate candidate Eric Schmitt appealed the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Holly Rehder

The Eighth Circuit Court, in a surprise move, has granted Schmitt's motion for a rehearing and the full appeals court will hear the case Sept. 21.

Rep. Wayne Wallingford of Cape Girardeau (R-147) was a member of the state Senate two years ago and he voted for the restrictions and told the Southeast Missourian he would do so again.

"One of the reasons I went to the capital for was to defend the lives of the innocent," Wallingford said.

The veteran lawmaker said the courts aren't always right in their decision making and laments the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, effectively legalizing abortion.

"(Roe) was a terrible decision. Back in 1973, we didn't have the science and the medicine we do today to show life begins at conception."

Wallingford's successor in the legislature's upper chamber, Sen. Holly Rehder of Scott City (R-27), also voted yes on H.R. 126 while a member of the Missouri House, saying she is "100% pro-life."

Rehder said if the court continues to block Missouri's 2019 law, she looks forward to supporting a similar bill when the General Assembly goes back into session in early January.

Jamie Burger

Rep. Jamie Burger of Benton (R-148), who succeeded Rehder, was not in the legislature two years ago. He takes a similar line as his immediate predecessor.

"I would have voted yes (and) I'm all for tougher restrictions. I believe life begins at conception. I'm anti-abortion completely. I'd be all for defunding Planned Parenthood. The tougher the abortion laws the better," he said.

Rep. Barry Hovis of Whitewater (R-146) said, "When I voted for the 'heartbeat bill' in 2019, it was an attempt to reduce the number of abortions."

Barry Hovis

Hovis, who spent 30 years as a City of Cape Girardeau police officer, cited statistics he said shows the vast majority of abortions "are for birth control."

Rep. Rick Francis of Perryville (R-145) said he has a distinct memory of the 2019 vote.

Rick Francis

"I can remember feeling great about my support of HR 126. If the court doesn't allow the law to go forward, we need to come back in January and create a bill similar, if not exactly, like the one in Texas."

The new abortion law in Texas, which took effect Tuesday after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to block it, prohibits the procedure once a heartbeat is detected, typically around the sixth week of pregnancy. Texas' law allows individual citizens to sue abortion providers or anyone who helps a woman get the procedure, The Lone Star State statute does not include exemptions for rape or incest.