Missouri Wastes No Time in Pushing Anti-Abortion Envelope (w/poll)

On Monday, SCOTUS overturned a ruling by the 8th U.S. District Court of Appeals that had previously struck down a Missouri ban on highly controversial partial-birth abortions.  The 5-4 majority stated that the decision did not inhibit a woman's constitutional right to seek an abortion.

So now you're thinking, "Gee I already knew that.  Is this really newsworthy today?"

Follow me past the flip.  It gets worse.

Just yesterday, the same day that SCOTUS ruled on partial-birth abortions, the Missouri House passed a measure to restrict abortion clinics.  HB 100, sponsored by Republican Rep. Jane Cunningham and co-sponsored by Republican Rep.Cynthia Davis (who sits on the Children and Families Committee), etal., moves to place strict regulations on abortion clinics in the state.

Missouri has only one full-time abortion clinic located in St. Louis.  Two other part-time clinics, located in Columbia and Kansas City, operate only a few days each month.  The measure passed in the House "increases state oversight of abortion providers and bans them from teaching or distributing materials for school sex education courses" (Columbia Tribune - link below).

 

How does the increased state oversight work?  According to Medical News Today,

"...clinics that perform more than five first-trimester abortions per month or any second- or third-trimester abortions would be classified as 'ambulatory surgical centers...'"

The method of abortion does not have any bearing on whether the clinic is classified as an ambulatory surgical center - only the number of abortions in the first trimester, or any abortions performed in the second- or third trimesters, determines the re-classification.

But wait, there's more!

In addition to the heavy restrictions already detailed, public schools in Missouri would now have the "option" to teach abstinence-only classes.  Planned Parenthood, which currently offers sex education to Missouri schools on an invitation-only basis, would be banned from this practice as they are abortion providers.  

From the Columbia Tribune article:

"Besides offering abortions, Planned Parenthood also has about a half-dozen Missouri instructors who teach sex education when invited by schools. The organization also provides books, pamphlets and videotapes to some schools."

"Some abortion opponents fear Planned Parenthood could use the school courses as a hook to get young women to their abortion clinics."

A "hook" to get young women into abortion clinics?  Like Planned Parenthood impregnated these women, taking them down the path towards making this gut-wrenching decision?  Or, worse yet, Planned Parenthood is having an exclusive, wild party to celebrate each abortion performed?

Perhaps I've been living in a dream state, believing that Roe v. Wade would not be overturned in my lifetime.

(This is my first diary.  All criticism is welcome, but please be gentle!)