Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon (D) announced today that he will not veto an anti-abortion bill that restricts doctors and hospitals from performing an abortion on a “viable fetus.” The new law eliminates Missouri’s “general health exception” that allowed abortions to preserve the life or health of the woman. Come Aug. 28 when the law goes into effect, abortions will only be allowed “to save the woman’s life or when the pregnancy poses a serious risk of permanent physical harm to a major bodily function.” This narrow exception effectively eliminates a woman’s mental health as a justifiable reason and runs headlong into the Supreme Court’s decision in Planned Parenthood v. Casey which only permits such bans “provided the life or health of the mother is not at stake,” a much more comprehensive definition of a woman’s health. Doctors who violate this new law “could face prison sentences of up to seven years, fines up to $50,000 and the loss of their medical licenses.”
In other words, the law is in clear violation of the Casey decision, but Nixon is going to allow it to become law anyway. He allowed a similar law to pass without choosing to veto it last year. Surprise! The Republicans upped the ante and dared him to veto it again. Republicans already are saying that tougher restrictions are needed and that they don't expect Nixon to block them, either.
With friends like this, who needs Republicans anyway? I'm sure Bon will have plenty to say about ol' Jay here.
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