JACKSONVILLE, MO – May 24, 2019 Gov. Mike Parson signed a bill into law which now makes abortions illegal after 8 weeks.
If the pregnancy is dated correctly, the fetus will have a detectable heartbeat at about 8 weeks of age. Any doctor found preforming abortions eight weeks or beyond will face five to fifteen years of imprisonment.
There remains an exception in the case of medical emergency, but there are not rape or incest exceptions written into this law which is set to go into effect by the end of August.
“Know that the Archdiocese of St. Louis is committed to providing support, services and life sustaining education to women during and after pregnancy, especially those who may feel frightened, alone or are contemplating abortion,” St Lewis Archbishop Robert J. Carlson said in a statement on the day the bill was signed into law.
Signatures to appeal the law are currently being collected which would then postpone the law coming into effect until a vote can be cast. The American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri has until August 28th to collect the votes.
Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas City, Kansas stated, “The pro-life movement has always had two critical goals: increasing support for mothers and children and eliminating the tragedy of abortion,” he said. “Our march for justice and human rights for unborn children will not be complete until they are recognized and protected as persons by the law. Our ultimate objective, however, is for abortion to be unthinkable.”
