Missouri Democrats filed a bill to repeal Missouri’s ban on abortion
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Missouri’s abortion ban enters the picture as lawmakers return for the first full week of the special legislative session to work on proposed income tax cuts.
House Minority Leader Crystal Quade, D-Springfield, filed a bill Tuesday morning that would repeal Missouri’s ban on abortion.
“After Missouri’s extreme new anti-abortion law took effect this summer, its poor wording spawned fears it also criminalizes prescribing or using birth control. Democrats implored the governor to expand his special session call to authorize the legislature to clarify the law and guarantee basic reproductive freedoms in our state, but he refused,” Quade said in a statement. Missouri’s abortion ban took effect minutes after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade earlier this year.
“Preventing the state from imposing forced pregnancies on unwilling Missourians in a top priority; pushing through a fiscally irresponsible tax cut for the wealthy when nearly every area of state government is underfunded is not. Try through they might, Republicans won’t be able to change the subject from their record of disdain for individual freedom,” Quade said.
House Republicans disagree, saying the GOP is the party working for Missouri families. “Representative Quade continues to demonstrate how out of touch the Democratic super minority is calling for Missouri to allow abortion at any age, for any reason right up to the child’s birthday,” Mary Elizabeth Coleman, R-Arnold, said. “While democrats continue their obsession with abortion on demand for any reason Republican leadership continues to fight for Missouri families to keep more of their hard earned money.”
Missouri Governor Parson said he will not expand the scope of the special session beyond taxes.
Parson proposed a special session to cut income taxes as an alternative to lawmakers’ planned one-time tax refund, which he voted in June.
Parson wants lawmakers to cut the top income tax rate from 5.3% to 4.8% and increase the standard deduction by $2,000 for single filers and $4,000 for couples.