A Bill Introduced In Missouri Would Require A Woman To Get The Father’s Permission For An Abortion

A Missouri lawmaker has introduced a bill that would require a woman getting an abortion to provide the written, signed, notarized permission of the baby’s father, Mother Jones is reporting.

Rick Brattin, a republican from the Kansas City area, introduced the bill earlier this month for consideration in the next legislative session.

“No abortion shall be performed or induced unless and until the father of the unborn child provides written, notarized consent to the abortion…”

As the Huffington Post notes, the Missouri abortion bill would even require women in abusive relationships to get permission from the father before an abortion.

“What does that have to do with the child’s life? Just because it was an abusive relationship, does that mean the child should die?”

The bill does, however, have an exception for cases of rape or incest, according to MSNBC.

“…except in cases in which the woman upon whom the abortion is to be performed or induced was the victim of rape or incest and the pregnancy resulted from the rape or incest.”

While discussing his abortion bill with Mother Jones, Brattin used a rather unfortunate choice of words in discussing the rape exemption.

“Just like any rape, you have to report it, and you have to prove it. So you couldn’t just go and say, ‘Oh yeah, I was raped’ and get an abortion. It has to be a legitimate rape.”

Rick Brattin is not the first Missouri politician to use the phrase “legitimate rape” in the context of abortion rights. In the run-up to his failed U.S. Senate bid in 2012, Akin made a verbal gaffe that may have helped doom his chances at the Senate, according to this Inquisitr report.

“First of all, from what I understand from doctors, that’s really rare. If it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down”But let’s assume that maybe that didn’t work or something. You know I think there should be some punishment, but the punishment ought to be on the rapist and not attacking the child.”

Missouri has some of the strictest abortion laws in the country, according to Mother Jones. There is currently only one abortion clinic in the state – in St. Louis – and Missouri lawmakers are continually heaping extra restrictions on it with each legislative session. Missouri also has the longest waiting period for an abortion – 72 hours – in the country.

[Image courtesy of: Michigan Radio]