Lichtenegger pro-life bill a good step toward respecting life

The Missouri House of Representatives passed an important pro-life bill recently, authored by state Rep. Donna Lichtenegger.

Mark Bliss reported for the Southeast Missourian this would ban most abortions after a fetus is 20 weeks old. The goal behind the bill is to prevent abortions at the earliest time medical experts believe a child can feel pain.

Another Southeast Missouri lawmaker, state Sen. Wayne Wallingford, is taking the legislation to the Senate where he believes it has a good chance to move forward to the governor's desk.

This type of legislation is not new. According to the Associated Press, there were 18 states with laws at the end of 2017 that ban most abortions at 20 weeks.

Missouri's current law bans most abortions at 22 weeks.

U.S. Sen. Mike Lee of Utah wrote a column for The Daily Signal in January when the federal government considered, but failed to pass, legislation to ban most abortions at 20 weeks.

"At 20 weeks past conception, a baby can sleep and wake in the womb," wrote Lee. "She can suck her thumb, make faces and see light filtering in through the womb."

Abortion survivor Gianna Jessen spoke at the Cape County Lincoln Day this month about her story of surviving a failed saline abortion. Jessen was told by a physician that at the time she survived the abortion (seven-and-a-half months) she experienced the most pain possible.

We believe it's important to respect life, and banning most abortions at 20 weeks is a common sense measure.

Thanks to Lichtenegger for her efforts. It's now time for the Missouri Senate to pass this bill.