Missouri Representative Deb Lavender of District 90 (D) and Missouri Senator Andrew Koenig weigh in:
MARY WILSON OPINIONS EDITOR
Forty-six years after Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court decision that made abortion a Constitutional right, became law the Missouri legislature is considering an almost total ban on abortion. “The bill that passed the House Floor last week would effectively ban abortion in the State of Missouri, if the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade,” said Missouri Representative, Deb Lavender of District 90 (D). Lavender said that the bill does not include exceptions for cases of rape or incest. There are already restrictions on abortion in Missouri, including a woman must receive “ state-directed counseling that includes information designed to discourage her from having an abortion, and then wait 72 hours before the procedure is provided,” according to the Guttmacher Institute website. The Guttmacher Institute is a “leading research and policy organization committed to advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights in the United States and globally.” The website also notes that “private insurance policies cover abortion only in cases of life endangerment, unless individuals purchase an optional rider at an additional cost.” The Institute reports that nearly “one in four women in the United States (23.7 percent) will have an abortion by age 45.” “I think the reason for the bill is quite simple,” Missouri Senator Andrew Koenig said. “We know that life exists in the womb. You can see life, the heartbeat itself speaks to the science behind it. If someone’s unconscious, the first thing we do is check for a heartbeat.” Koenig, a Republican, was a sponsor of one of two anti-abortion bills that were merged into one bill on the House Floor. “I think that we should have a culture of life, and that life should be held up as precious, and I believe in liberty, but my liberty stops when you’re getting ready to harm someone else,” said Koenig. Lavender said Missouri citizens need to know “that a woman’s right to choose has been under attack in Missouri for the last many years, and last week the Republican majority on the house floor, chose to disregard a woman’s life in the moment of fertilization.” In 2014, 49 percent of women who had abortions were below the federal poverty level, while 26 percent of women who had abortions were above the federal poverty level, according to the Guttmacher Institute. “They have no problem that kids are dying from lax gun laws.” Said Levander. Saint Louis Public Radio reported that in 2017, 1,307 “Missourians died from gunshot wounds.” In Missouri, there are 28.5 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births, putting the state’s ranking at 42nd in the country in **. “Why are we not expanding medicaid? Why are we not fighting and working as hard to reduce infant mortality and maternal mortality as we’re fighting to make sure that a fertilized egg is protected?” said Representative Lavender. The supporters of the bill are expecting resistance from those opposing the bill says Koenig. “I’m sure there will be backlash from the left,” Koenig The loss of life will happen regardless of the legality of abortion says Lavender. “The level of rhetoric has gotten to the level of hatred,” Said Lavender “that is going to explode in loss of life, whether it’s at an abortion facility, an abortion clinic, or in the streets.”
