Missourians could lose abortion access if court strikes down Roe v. Wade
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)
A U.S. Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade could lead to the end of most abortions in Missouri because of a trigger law enacted in 2019.
POLITICO released a report Monday containing a leaked draft of a Supreme Court ruling in a Mississippi case the court is expected to decide on this summer. The ruling laid out in the draft would overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark federal case that legalized abortion nationally nearly 50 years ago. The leak was confirmed by Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. on Tuesday morning.
The trigger law was passed as part of an omnibus bill from Rep. Nick Schroer (R-St. Charles) in 2019. It would immediately ban abortions in Missouri unless there's a medical emergency.
"We already have a law in place that says alright, we're not going to basically mirror Roe v. Wade, we're going to take abortion from the ground up we're going to say that is illegal," Schroer said.
Parts of that law are being challenged in court, but a Supreme Court ruling could affect the fate of the case. The parts being challenged ban abortions after eight weeks of pregnancy and ban abortions based on sex, race or Down Syndrome diagnosis.
It's currently legal to have an abortion up to 22 weeks in Missouri after a 72-hour waiting period. There is only one clinic in Missouri that offers abortions, Planned Parenthood in St. Louis. Even that clinic is restricted in the types of procedures it's allowed to perform.
Mallory Schwarz with Prochoice Missouri said Missouri already has some of the most restrictive abortion laws in the country.
"Abortion in Missouri has been largely inaccessible for years," Schwarz said. "So we have already been in a post row world here in Missouri. Now the rest of the nation is facing what we face every day."
The Missouri Democratic Party released a statement condemning the ruling.
“If this opinion comes to fruition, the blow to women’s rights will be extraordinary," Executive Director Randy Dunn said. "Now, in 2022, a politicized Supreme Court may be doing the unthinkable and trying to take away their right to safe and accessible healthcare. We live in America, the leader of the free world -- unless you are a woman."
Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-Harrisonville) released a statement saying the leak itself raises safety concerns, but she supports the opinion.
“This leak is outrageous and dangerous," Hartzler said. "I pray and remain hopeful the Supreme Court stays true to this potential decision, but this unprecedented, intentional leak is malicious and threatens the independence of our highest court."
