A Republican politician in Missouri recently objected to a bill that would allow an exception in anti-abortion laws for child victims of rape and incest, and he had a bizarre reason: He feared it would allow 1-year-olds to get abortions.
State Sen. Bill Eigel, who is running for governor, made the very dubious argument last Wednesday as the Missouri Senate debated whether to ban Medicaid payments to Planned Parenthood, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.
Since Missouri has allowed abortions only in cases of medical emergencies since 2022, Democratic senators tried to loosen the near-total ban by adding amendments to allow them in cases of rape and incest.
The debate ended before the Senate could vote on an amendment that would allow someone 12 or younger to have an abortion.
State Sen. Doug Beck, who proposed the amendment, said he was worried about the possible health effects on child victims who are forced to carry pregnancies to term.
Eigel objected to the amendment by citing a nonexistent danger.