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As Restrictive Abortion Laws Pass in Missouri and Elsewhere, Questions Surface

Senate floor at the Missouri Capitol
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The floor of the Missouri Senate, where Democrats filibustered a workplace discrimination reform bill into the evening hours Wednesday.

As multiple states pass laws banning many abortions, questions have surfaced about what that means for women who might seek an abortion.

 

The short answer: nothing yet. None of the laws has taken effect, and all will almost definitely be blocked amid legal challenges.

Backers of the laws welcome the challenges. They've said their goal is to get the Supreme Court to reconsider the landmark Roe v. Wade case, which said a woman has the right to choose whether to have an abortion.

Alabama's law is the most restrictive, making abortion a felony in nearly all cases with no exceptions for cases of rape or incest.

Georgia's law confers personhood on a fetus, leading to conflicting interpretations about whether a woman who gets an abortion could be charged with murder.

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