Don’t want to intrude on your personal decisions, but….
Note: The story below is not about new Missouri legislation to prevent divorce during pregnancy, but efforts by a Democrat to remove the existing state ban. The headline frames it badly, but in a clickbait way.
X-user The Volatile Mermaid tweets, “Missouri law says pregnant women can’t get divorced, in case you were under the false impression that Republicans care about protecting life. It’s. All. About. Controlling. Women.”
Freedom. It’s another case of Republicans and “You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.”
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – As it stands, Missouri judges cannot legally finalize a divorce if a woman is pregnant.
Three other states have similar laws: Texas, Arizona, and Arkansas. While a couple can still file for divorce in Missouri, the court must wait until after a woman gives birth in order to finalize child custody and child support.
When it comes to domestic violence, there’s no exceptions.
“It just doesn’t make sense in 2024,” said State Rep. Ashley Aune, a Democrat representing District 14 in Platte County, and that’s where it becomes a problem for her.
She introduced a bill this legislative session that essentially says pregnancy cannot prevent a judge from finalizing a divorce or separation.
“I just want moms in difficult situations to get out if they need to,” she said.
Abuse the spouse, abuse the child?
A report from Missouri’s Department of Health and Senior Services says out of 10,098 women surveyed between 2007-2014, nearly 5% were abused either before or during pregnancy. That equates to about 500 women.
“This legislation could literally save lives,” added Matthew Huffman with the Missouri Coalition Against Domestic & Sexual Violence, which works to ensure its advocates have the resources needed to provide services to rape and abuse survivors. “For abusive partners they might be using reproductive coercion and control to keep their partner pregnant so that they can’t ever actually be granted a divorce.”
Aune is working on the problem. Nonetheless:
The bill is still a work in progress, and despite Aune’s passion to change the law she said she doesn’t feel hopeful that it’ll get to Governor Mike Parson’s desk this session.
Still, the Missouri Coalition Against Domestic & Sexual Violence considered it a ‘top priority.’
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