A new Missouri bill would prohibit women leaving the state to get an abortion.

[Nevilledog]

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Kate Smith
@byKateSmith
NEW

A new Missouri bill would prohibit women leaving the state to get an abortion.

If this style of legislation is somehow found legal, it would have a huge impact in a post-Roe v Wade world.

washingtonpost.com
Missouri lawmaker seeks to prohibit residents from obtaining abortions out of state
Abortion rights advocates say the measure is unconstitutional. But it could signal a new strategy by the antiabortion movement to extend influence beyond the conservative states poised to tighten...
2:00 PM · Mar 8, 2022

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/03/08/missouri-abortion-ban-texas-supreme-court/

No paywall
https://archive.ph/pKSdF

The pattern emerges whenever a Republican-led state imposes new restrictions on abortion: People seeking the procedure cross state lines to find treatment in places with less-restrictive laws.

Now, a prominent antiabortion lawmaker in Missouri, where thousands of residents have traveled to next-door Illinois to receive abortions since Missouri passed one of the country’s strictest abortion laws in 2019, believes she has found a solution.

An unusual new provision, introduced by state Rep. Mary Elizabeth Coleman (R), would allow private citizens to sue anyone who helps a Missouri resident obtain an abortion out of state, using the novel legal strategy behind the restrictive Texas law that has banned abortions after six weeks of pregnancy since September.

Coleman has attached the measure as an amendment to several abortion-related bills that have made it through committee and are waiting to be heard on the floor of the House of Representatives.

*snip*

[secondwind]

1. These people are psychos!!!!!

Incredible…….

[TheBlackAdder]

24. If this passes, then states could pass laws that you can't get any medical treatment out of state.

[localroger]

87. This is true. If the civil lawsuit dodge starts to get enforced and upheld it means

...the end of civil society as we know it. The Federal government will be helpless to enforce any protection of rights and, as a practical matter, any Federal level laws at all. I think there are still at least six people on the Supreme Court sane enough to strike this madness down, even if five of them would be willing to gut abortion, voting, and civil rights enforcement.

[Demsrule86]

103. This will never win court approval...these folks are stupid.

[oldsoftie]

126. They're vote trolling. "Look what I did!" at election time.

Then by the time its tossed they're reelected

[Demsrule86]

127. That is a good point. But I can't help wonder if the fact that these are extreme measures...

especially with the ectopic pregnancy which would allow women to die for nothing will not hurt them rather than help them.

[SoonerPride]

2. Next bill up for consideration, shackling pregnant women to poles so they can't leave

I wish that were a joke.

[gratuitous]

4. Squish! Why just pregnant women?

Any woman of child-bearing age needs to have her movements severely circumscribed, not just the ones who are actively pregnant.

[MontanaMama]

3. JFC.

Ridiculous.

[NickB79]

5. Make sure to keep your papers in order, ladies

Maybe keep a used tampon in a Ziploc bag to throw at the first asshole who demands proof you aren't pregnant.

[Hortensis]

31. How about arrest and extradition from IL, MD, etc, back to Missouri

Last edited Tue Mar 8, 2022, 07:07 PM - Edit history (1)

after purchasing abortion pills on a visit?

On my graze I didn't see where it'd actually be illegal to leave the state for that purpose (!!! ).

[eShirl]

6. so they're actually ok with the state having the power to do this

blows my mind

[Hassin Bin Sober]

43. The party of small government

[Claire Oh Nette]

61. small enough to fit inside a woman's uterus...

nt

[Lonestarblue]

53. Imagine the surveillance state that would be needed to track women's every movement.

I hope Republicans keep pushing this nonsense because eventually even the wingnuts will realize that these politicians are crazy.

[Crunchy Frog]

58. I wouldn't count on that. Crazy is self reinforcing.

[NYC Liberal]

107. Not necessary when coupled with the Texas vigilante system.

That’s the frightening part.

[kysrsoze]

7. FREEDOM!

[spanone]

8. The party of putin needs to be dissolved. Who are these people?

[CrispyQ]

9. How long before women need travel passes & justified reasons to go anywhere? -nt

[wnylib]

68. These are the same people who said

that we were liberating Iraqi women.

[Boomerproud]

79. Also the same folks who said wearing a mask during a pandemic

was akin to the Nazi Star of David law.

[wnylib]

86. Fascism and misogyny go hand in hand.

[DFW]

10. What kind of society is it that produces groups of people who not only misread the room

They misread their country and even the time in which they live by about a thousand years.

Even the Mel Brooks version of Torquemada couldn't have thought this one up.

[maxrandb]

28. We kid ourselves if we think they are "misreading" the country

This is precisely who in the fuck we are as a nation and a people.

If this were truly "not who we are", these people would lose, but this will ensure they win by an even larger margin in MO.

Sadly, all this legislator is doing is representing the will of their constituents.

[mahina]

85. True. On the other hand, it might help Beto's chances

In Texas.

[Mariana]

118. They're not misreading THEIR supporters, though.

In their constituencies, people who are in favor of this kind of thing are the majority.

[Irish_Dem]

11. Women will have to present a negative pregnancy test to cross the state line?

[Patterson]

12. It should be unconstitutional because of interstate something or other,

but with this court all bets are off.

[OAITW r.2.0]

13. Weekly state checks on fertilization status of women?

How can you protect a blastocyst's rights if you aren't screening for them?

[rurallib]

45. weekly checks on periods

[Lovie777]

14. What happened to FREEDOM? . . ....

[Tadpole Raisin]

15. And we thought The Handmaid's Tale was fiction

They thought - yah, that’s a great society.

[NewDayOranges]

16. I live in Missouri...

Maybe we should start wearing masks on our vaginas or start carrying firearms in there so republicans will leave our uteruses and vaginas ALONE!

[deminks]

17. How Russian of them.

[Rebl2]

41. TRUTH!

[SCantiGOP]

18. Political grandstanding

This bill has 0% chance of passing constitutional muster.

[Murphyb849]

36. Exactly

[Hekate]

80. Red states are passing truly vicious anti-abortion laws, in anticipation of a 9-3 SCOTUS upholding...

… those laws in the near future. It is not political grandstanding — it is political strategy.

[SCantiGOP]

97. I was referring to the Missouri bill

There are numerous reasons a state could not prevent a citizen from traveling to another state for a medical procedure.
It is grandstanding because they know the bill is obviously unconstitutional.

[PortTack]

19. Women in any of the shitty red states should not tell ANYONE of a pregnancy...no one.

[Hekate]

82. Are you aware that when you purchase a home pregnancy test using a store "club" or discount card...

Last edited Tue Mar 8, 2022, 10:05 PM - Edit history (1)

… you will shortly begin receiving coupons for everything from prenatal vitamins to baby formula?

Several years ago that came out because of fathers who were shocked as hell to discover that these apparently misdirected coupons were related to their teenage daughter’s purchase of a home pregnancy test.

Soooooo

[PortTack]

96. If it comes to that we've got a lot more to worry about...with all that's going on right now, that

Will have to wait

[Hekate]

99. Within our borders we have to worry about voting rights (subjugating black Americans) and ...

… women’s rights over their own bodies (subjugating 51% of the population).

These two things cannot wait. These rights are being rolled back as we speak. It cannot wait.

My heart goes out to the people of Ukraine and I recognize the peril Putin poses to Europe and the world. I support military aid, governmental aid, charitable donations, you-name-it.

But no American should think our home-grown fascists are pausing for a moment in their endeavors. They see their goal in sight.

[niyad]

101. Are you saying thAt the RIGHTS of over 51% of our population have to wait?

[smirkymonkey]

109. Pretty sure that's what he's saying.

At least he won't care until one of those women sues him in court for mandatory child support for the next 18 years. Then he'll care.

[niyad]

114. So true.

[Hekate]

116. I think that's what he said

Our house is quite sad just now. My husband is being triggered to a hereditary PTSD by what’s happening in Ukraine. I am being triggered by the all-out assault on American women’s rights. We each support the other.

I am astonished that anyone thinks we can just put the radical right-wing takeover of America on hold because — because what, exactly? Because the bodily autonomy and moral agency of 51% of the population is (and to some always will be) relegated to being a “women’s issue” and therefore forever of lesser importance? Because minorities and especially Black Americans have achieved all the civil rights they are ever going to get?

It is a literal trigger for me, and I feel deep grief wash over me. Just as my husband feels grief at the destruction of the place his grandparents left for Vienna in 1914. This was not supposed to happen again…

[ProudMNDemocrat]

20. Missouri GOP are no better than the Gestapo if this gets passed and signed into law..

I do not say this lightly.

What Republicans in the states want is total CONTROL over a woman's body, her decisions, her movements, even her thoughts.

What punishments are they willing to come up with towards women who seek options? What happens if a woman miscarries through no fault of her own? This is madness!

[Red Pest]

21. 21st Century Equivalent of Fugitive Slave Laws and the Dred Scott Decision

Women would have no rights if they are residents of Missouri. Pregnancy tests required for exit and reentry to the state?

[Farmer-Rick]

77. It's more than that

Would Missouri police have the right to go to Maryland to abduct and drag back Missouri women who plan to have abortions?

Could Missouri kidnap women from other states whom they suspect of having abortions because they at one time lived in Missouri?

Would any former female resident of Missouri have the right to ever have an abortion even if they conceived in another state? And how would you prove the woman had sex in what state?

I think all females in Missouri should leave now. Just to be safe with future abortions.

[localroger]

83. It wouldn't work that way; these laws are enabling civil lawsuits, not 'law enforcement'

So nobody can go to Maryland to drag you back in handcuffs, but you could get served with a summons and if you don't go back home to make the court appearance face a summary judgement, which would result in liens on your property and possibly an arrest warrant enforceable in the home state for failure to pay the judgement. So you would pretty much have to leave everything behind and plan on staying in Maryland (or other non-cooperative states) forever. It is unlikely, particularly if you are in a state that does not pull this shit, that they would honor an extradition request on the basis of such an unpaid judgement.

[Farmer-Rick]

94. Oh, I was assuming it would apply like the fugitive slave act

Where they were dragging back the escaped slave or even free black men by crossing into other States and kidnapping them. Then selling them back into slavery. If someone can make money off of kidnapping pregnant women, I'm sure someone's going to try it.

But that was a different atrocity created by the Supremes in the 1842 case Prigg v. Pennsylvania.

[Maraya1969]

22. Her information. Please contact to express your displeasure.

Address: MO House of Representatives
201 West Capitol Avenue
Room 118-CB
Jefferson City MO 65101
Legislator Assistant: Seth York

Phone: [phone]

E-Mail: [e-mail]

[niyad]

102. already have.

[Maraya1969]

111. Maybe that's why when I called before 5pm it went to voicemail. They are probably getting a lot of

concerned citizens voicing their displeasure.

[niyad]

115. true. like with little marco's phones this past weekend.

[orwell]

23. Clearly unconstitutional...n/m

[lagomorph777]

25. Most assuredly. Commerce Clause violation.

Only the Federal government has the right to regulate interstate commerce.

[maxrandb]

26. Is it? Or will Biff, the Handmaiden and Gorsuch the Federalist bot

Join Thomas and Alito to make it "constitutional"?

After all, the work around seems to be to allow private citizens to sue for whatever the fuck they want.

Seems the going rate for rights we took for granted just 2 years ago is $10K.

Next will be private citizens suing folks for saying ,"gay...oh wait, nevermind, that's already being considered in Florida.

We better get our asses out and vote in numbers never seen before, or this country is fucked.

[orwell]

39. Of course the courts can do anything they have the votes to do...

...I have never held the courts as either wise nor moral. Sometimes they are, sometimes they aren't.

But this is clearly unconstitutional. If they choose not to rule that way, the legitimacy of the Supreme Court is gone.

[localroger]

78. The key is the "enforcement by lawsuit" provision

...pioneered by Texas for their near total abortion ban. The idea is that since these are state level civil suits brought by individuals they aren't "law enforcement" subject to Constitutional review. It's hard to imagine even the wackiest Supreme Court going along with this since it would effectively shutter their entire branch of government. But until it's struck down more laws like this will be passed and they will be actionable (not being "enforcement&quot until the whole idea is struck down. Meanwhile we have not even seen the beginning of the legal chaos that will arise if suits based on this theory actually start showing up in the court system.

I can see the current SC striking down Roe and allowing abortion bans and gutting civil rights enforcement, but I find it hard to believe that all five of the conservative justices would go along with making their own institution irrelevant by allowing this civil lawsuit dodge. Problem is it will probably be awhile before any of these laws shows up at the SC. So far I don't think there is even a single case actually in process based on the very first one passed in Texas.

[orwell]

93. Thanks...

...that is very enlightening. My post was simplistic revealing my rudimentary knowledge of the law.

Yours was very illuminating, and considerably more troubling. I fear you may be right that inevitably this court will strike down Roe. It is where this seems to have been headed for over a generation.

Thanks again for your post.

[bluestarone]

27. They are showing us just who they are!

They were ALL born in the WRONG country! Please leave us NOW!

[Rebl2]

46. Yes please

immediately leave this country and go to a country with a dictator, preferably Russia and live under putin’s rules.

[hlthe2b]

29. Someone doing this against someone as a $ vendetta, or just because they "can" is likely going to be

killed one day. This is disgraceful. And if I sat on the jury of some horrifically abused/harrassed/devastated and soon-to-be financially-crippled woman who merely sought to get the legal abortion she has every right to acquire and who lost it with one of these cretins seeking to control and destroy her life? Murder is obviously wrong, but I'm not so sure I wouldn't find some way to grant her mercy.

[tishaLA]

30. How will the repub activists on SCOTUS manage to find this legal?

Because you know they want to find it legal and are willing to perform all manner of pretzel logic for it.

[bucolic_frolic]

32. All women should leave the state and leave the men to "don't say gay"

[Moostache]

44. I am telling all 3 of my daughters to get out as soon as possible.

They are going to leave for college and career paths and I will be sad to see them less often than I might have otherwise, but this fucked up state is disgusting and I hope the New Madrid fault goes soon and levels much of this asshole of the United States.

[wnylib]

72. Women of Missouri could go on a sex strike.

But the cretins would probably rape them.

[LiberalFighter]

88. Unless they use stand your ground?

[wnylib]

90. Good point.

[roamer65]

33. Women will just move to IL.

East St Louis may actually become a thriving city again.

[TygrBright]

34. More than half of all abortions are now done by pharmaceuticals.

This is the flailing temper tantrum of an abuser seeing their victims slip from their control.

They can still do a lot of painful damage.

But they know their days are numbered.

disgustedly,
Bright

[MissMillie]

35. that's not going to fly (n/t)

.

[badhair77]

37. When I was in jr high and hs phys ed we would line up for "inspection."

Attendance was taken, proper uniform was noted and we had to tell the teacher when we had our periods and it was documented. Seriously. This was in the 60s. Will we go back to such nonsense.

Crossing state lines is no one’s business but the woman’s.

[Moostache]

51. As a Missouri / East Kansas resident, I am going on record today...

IF this "law" is ever enacted, I am going to organize a transportation system from St. Louis to East St. Louis with FREE ROOM AND BOARD in my home for women needing abortion care.

Go ahead and try to stop me.

[niyad]

38. on International Women's Day, no less!

[Hekate]

100. Of course they did

[lonely bird]

40. Sorry, but

Fuck. These. People.

OK, no abortions? Dump the kids on the desks of the legislators. Make them pay for the kids’ care and feeding.

(Sorry, just venting)

[smirkymonkey]

108. Seriously, do they ever think this BS through?

What do they think is going to be the outcome of such ridiculous legislation? Who is going to pay for all of these unwanted children? And many of these same people want to outlaw birth control as well.

And now that we have DNA testing, doesn't anyone think that if the woman is going to have to pay by forfieting the right to bodily autonomy, the next thing that will have to happen is that men who have fathered all those unwanted children are going to have to pay financially and otherwise? Have their pay garnished and assets seized to ease the burden on the state.

What will things look like 20 years down the road after such policies are implemented throughout much of the nation?

[Mariana]

119. "What do they think is going to be the outcome of such ridiculous legislation?"

They think they'll get more money and votes next election. They're probably right.


ETA: They'll also be hailed as champions of the faith at their Christian churches. When it inevitably gets struck down, they'll rant about the evil Satanic leftist swine who kill babies and persecute Christians. They have nothing to lose and everything to gain by passing this.

[Stuart G]

42. This law is....'UNCONSTITUTIONAL"

[Demsrule86]

106. It will never pass court muster.

[rurallib]

47. Build the wall! Build the wall! Build the wall!

a new spot for a Republican wall!

[ashredux]

48. A bunch of silly, stupid assholes. That is so un-American there are no words

[Rebl2]

49. They have

effing lost their minds. Please, if you want to live somewhere with a dictator, go to a country like russia.

[MOMFUDSKI]

50. She just got an Email from me

telling her to get her head out of her ass. Also asked her if she was fucking crazy. JEESH

[Moostache]

52. Time for St. Louis County to secede from Missouri...

Take our population, our tax base and our sense of common fucking decency to Illinois.

We can be an effective counter balance for up-state Chicago interests and down-state St. Louis interests and we can shake the disgusting dust of East Kansas forevermore!!!

[KPN]

54. But "Freedum!" nt

[Pas-de-Calais]

55. Would be a first if those elected

Actually
Knew
The
Law

[niyad]

104. mary e is a lawyet.

[milestogo]

56. Move the fuck out of Missouri.

[budkin]

57. JFC

We need to fight this. HARD.

[lindysalsagal]

59. Ok! And men will register every woman they fertilize or face

Lawsuits as well. Then, they'll be on the financial hook to house and support the women and children. Registration and attendance at church services will be mandatory for all fathers. Alcohol prohibited until the children move out at 18. No porn or gambling.

[dlk]

60. The women-haters are on a tear

Making women as chattel great again.

[lees1975]

62. Aren't these the members of the same party that calls mask and vaccine mandates "tyranny"?

This woman is not a Republican, she's a Fascist.

[orangecrush]

63. OMFG

Slavery for women.

How sick can you get?

[AZLD4Candidate]

64. How do you enforce that?

[Harker]

74. Checkpoints. Barbed wire. Mean dogs.

Or maybe they'll use the Texas model, asking the citizenry to rat each other out for money.

It's nuts.

[localroger]

89. It is the Texas model

Enforcement is civil money judgements, liens on property, property seizure, and possibly jail for failure to pay the judgement if you re-enter the state. You would probably be OK if you leave everything behind and move to the less insane state and never return.

[Calista241]

65. Isn't that a violation of the commerce clause?

[paleotn]

66. That ain't getting out of committee.

The nutters propose all sorts of nuttiness that never sees the light of day.

[Pepsidog]

67. Women must watch Handmaid's Tale. But it could never happen here. It's happening!

Last edited Tue Mar 8, 2022, 08:06 PM - Edit history (1)

[Gore1FL]

69. I am trying to understand why MO thinks it has jurisdiction in other states. nt

[eppur_se_muova]

70. Gotta be unconstitutional. Regulating activities in another state ???

Missouri, you ain't the boss of all fifty states.

[sinkingfeeling]

71. Sure, that'll work. I thought enslaving people was illegal.

[MOMFUDSKI]

73. She just got an Email from me

telling her to get her head out of her ass. Also asked her if she was fucking crazy. JEESH

[Boomerproud]

75. This has been said a million times. This isn't about abortion.

What next? All birth control. "Laboratories of Democracy" my ...

[smirkymonkey]

110. I'm pretty sure that's on the agenda.

Seriously. It's effing scary.

[Hekate]

76. Fucking Taliban

[oldsoftie]

81. Unconstitutional & unenforceable.

[Hekate]

84. Don't bet the farm on that

Last edited Wed Mar 9, 2022, 01:53 AM - Edit history (1)

[oldsoftie]

95. How is the State going to know where you go & why? Constitutionally?

[niyad]

105. this is about neighbors snitching on neighbors, like the tex-ass law.

[oldsoftie]

122. I doubt many people advertise that they're going to get an abortion.

This is all for "image" to look like they're "saving babies". Its not going anywhere & it wouldn't stop anyone.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying we shouldn't worry about it & stand against it, just that its stupid and the only way to enforce it would be to break OTHER laws; like HIPPA

[Hekate]

117. How does the SCOTUS just let the Texas bounty-hunter legislation slide into actuality?

[oldsoftie]

121. That hasn't been ruled on yet. And I doubt it will hold up

And reporting a doctors office is a lot easier than knowing what your neighbor is doing

[Hekate]

124. We shall see. The far-right-wing has told us who they are, & we should believe them. nt

[Stinky The Clown]

91. What a ROTTEN FUCKING WORLD it is becoming with these authoritarian FUCKS

[NavyDem]

92. Are they gonna bring the same energy...

Are they going to bring the same energy when it comes to people crossing state lines to purchase guns in states with less restrictive gun laws? Last time I looked, freedom to travel between the states was still very much a constitutionally protected right, under the 14th amendment.

[pansypoo53219]

98. are they paying child support? forcing fathers to pay?????

[xmas74]

112. Good luck

I didn't get child support for a decade.

[xmas74]

113. It's an election year

And her last term. Look her up-she loves to sponsor and cosponsor crazy crap, including the Trump highway and Limbaugh day.

[ZonkerHarris]

120. MO would legalize slavery again and make women chattel.

no exaggeration

[msfiddlestix]

123. WTF?

Are there no common sense Voting Citizens residing in the State of Missouri?

jeeze, i read this stuff and I wonder how in the hell do these wackos continue to proliferate in state governments?

jeeze.

Is this shit stupid ever going to end?

[Happy Hoosier]

125. I can't think a law like that...

would even be supported by most conservatives in SCOTUS. Except Thomas.

No state can tell someone not to seek legal medical services in another state. That's ridiculous on its face.

[Emile]

128. This is the woman who employed two nannies to watch her kids and wants women punished

for seeking out of state abortions. Mary Elizabeth Coleman insists forcing people to give birth to and raise children against their own will is good for them.