Missouri Women’s Filibuster Aims to Stop 72-Hour Abortion Bill Passed by State Senate: Glamour.com
te last night, the Missouri Senate passed a bill that would force women seeking a legal, safe abortion to wait 72 hours (adding two days to the current wait time required in the state) before having the procedure.
Missouri’s current law requires a 24-hour waiting period during which a woman must obtain “informed consent,” meaning state-directed, in-person counseling designed to discourage her from having an abortion. An increase to the waiting period serves no medical need, and a 2009 Guttmacher Institute report found that such waiting periods have little or no impact on abortion rates. In addition to further delaying abortion, women will also be required to watch a video about the risks of abortion. All of this for a safe—and completely legal—medical procedure.
Missouri women are fighting back. I’m watching a live feed right now of a 72-hour #WomensFilibuster on the steps of the Missouri Capitol. Check it out below:
The filibuster started yesterday at 2 P.M. and will run through Thursday at 2 P.M.—the same amount of time that, under the new law, women would be required to wait before having an abortion. Women are making their voices heard and calling on Missouri Governor Jay Nixon to veto the dangerous bill that will triple the state’s current mandatory waiting period.
More: Missouri Women’s Filibuster Aims to Stop 72-Hour Abortion Bill Passed by State Senate: Glamour.com