EDITORIAL: GOP radicals muzzle opposition to abortion law

[Sherman A1]

Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft last week rejected two proposed ballot measures that would allow voters to overturn the state’s draconian new law restricting abortion rights.

Ashcroft says his hands are tied because his fellow Republicans in the legislature designated part of the law an “emergency,” meaning it cannot be overturned by referendum.

That throws it to the courts to decide whether the legislature’s emergency designation was made in good faith or if it was — as is obvious — merely a ploy to deny voters any opportunity to have input. So far, the ploy has worked.

There is no emergency here. GOP extremists have commandeered Missouri’s state government and launched an all-out assault on the self-determination rights of women — even rape and incest victims — and now are muzzling public opposition to it.

https://www.columbiamissourian.com/opinion/guest_commentaries/editorial-gop-radicals-muzzle-opposition-to-abortion-law/article_5d78e32c-8a40-11e9-bd80-ab9ed01a86f6.html

[mucifer]

1. what might help a little is the Missouri Illinois boarder. Our law is the opposite

[Sherman A1]

2. Agreed

It will certainly provide a resource to those who can travel there. As to how this shakes out long term is anyone’s guess I suppose.

[SWBTATTReg]

3. Yes, the Illinois border is all along the eastern side of MO, I wonder how long it will...

take these bigoted MO repug legislators to attempt to enact some sort of law outlawing out of state abortions for MO residents?

[Lonestarblue]

4. Legislators in some states have already said they would make cross-border abortions illegal.

People need to wake up and understand what this would mean. It means that if you buy a pregnancy test, the seller has to report you to a government entity. If your doctor does a pregnancy test, he or she has to report you to a government entity. Then the government has to monitor your pregnancy to determine whether you end it. God help you if you have a miscarriage because that could be prosecuted as an abortion.

If you are pregnant and need an abortion to save your life because you need immediate treatment for an aggressive cancer, your doctors will need permission from the state for the abortion unless, of course, you live in a state with no exceptions for the life of the mother, in which case you can just go home and wait to die.

Republicans are turning the US into a police state where they want the government to monitor and decide private medical decisions—and the government gets to decide which bathroom you use. In the meantime, the planet is burning and the rich are grabbing as much of the country’s wealth as they can while the power is with them.

I will never understand why any person votes for a Republican!

[Rebl2]

7. Didn't

they used to be the party of less government intrusion in our lives?

[lark]

5. Missouri - another state I won't visit.

That's 4 so far - AL, MS have been on the list for the last 30 years, and now MO. I won't drive through LA or TX either, but will fly to NO for Jazz Fest and will fly to see moms' family in TX every few decades. Driving through AL, MS, LA, TX or MO with ut of state tags is definitely not a good idea for anyone not straight white male with $$. LA is especially bad about shaking down drivers with out of state tags, it was a real cottage industry for small town police jerks.

[mopinko]

6. their laws are the emergency.