By Marshall Griffin, KWMU
Jefferson City, MO – The Missouri House has passed a bill that would make it illegal to coerce a woman into having an abortion.
It was sponsored by State Representative Bob Onder (R, Lake St. Louis), who's also running for the 9th District U.S. Congressional seat.
He says coercion could mean physical harm, or a threat to evict, fire from a job, or withhold financial assistance.
"Examples of women being coerced into having abortions have occurred, have happened...many, many times we hear this from women at crisis pregnancy centers," Onder said.
State Representative Beth Low (D, Kansas City) says, though, the bill's definition of the word "coercion" is too vague.
"It could mean a parent explaining to a daughter, who may be over 18 years of age, that she doesn't think that the daughter is ready to be a parent herself and should terminate the pregnancy...is that coercion?" Low said.
The bill now goes to the Missouri Senate.
It would also require doctors who perform abortions to offer sonograms to women seeking to terminate a pregnancy.