SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Missouri State University’s political science professor Kevin Pybas provided information and answered questions about the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
What does this mean for Missourians?
“It’s a categorical ban on abortion, except in the case of medical emergency, it provides it makes it a felony for someone to provide an abortion doctor or medical provider. Some doctor makes it I think it’s a Class B felony. I’m not sure I have that right. But someone who performs an abortion now in Missouri is subject to criminal charges. And even a prison sentence of five to 15 years.” said Pybas.
If you can’t get an abortion in Missouri, could you go to a different one that allows it?
“We have a right to travel…it’s a constitutional right. States can’t make it harder for people to cross state boundaries. And so it’s very unlikely that if a legislature were to do that, it’s very, very unlikely that that would survive constitutional scrutiny.” said Pybas.
Would both the doctor and the woman be charged with a felony?
“The Missouri law is explicit that a woman can’t be charged the language is explicit. It’s only the provider of the abortion. And that and the implicit in the language is that that person is a doctor because it also says that the person could lose their medical license.” said Pybas.