St. Louis, Mo., Jul 26, 2017 / 14:35 pm
Pro-lifers lauded a bill that will restrict abortion access in Missouri, granting the state attorney general more power to prosecute violations, and requiring both stricter health codes and proper fetal tissue disposal.
"Today is a great victory for pregnancy care centers that help women and children all over the state," Governor Erik Greitens said in a statement according to the Associated Press.
"I'm proud that many of Missouri's lawmakers stood strong to protect the lives of the innocent unborn and women's health."
The bill passed through the state's Senate 22-9 on July 25. Missouri's Catholic Conference supported the move by promoting it at the parish level and encouraging Catholics to contact their senator.
Greitens said the bill was in response to local ordinances aimed at curbing so-called reproductive health "discrimination," which affected the state capital's pregnancy centers and religious organizations. The bill was also in response to the ruling of a federal judge which struck down some of Missouri's previous anti-abortion laws.