Missouri’s Senate is considering legislation that would allow employers and landlords to discriminate against women who use birth control or have had abortions. The bill, which has the support of the state’s governor, Eric Greitens, was approved by the Missouri House Tuesday.
Known as SB 5, the bill was first passed by the Senate on June 14 following a special session called by Greitens. His aim was to overturn an ordinance that prevents employers and housing providers from punishing women for their reproductive health choices, according to a report by Feministing, a feminist website.
The ordinance was passed by the city of St. Louis, and Greitens had said it made the area into “an abortion sanctuary city.” The Senate seemed to agree with him, as did the House, which on Tuesday passed an expanded version of SB 5 that included more anti-abortion restrictions. Given the Senate’s vote on June 14, it it seen as likely to approve the updated version of SB 5. This would mean that landlords could refuse to offer housing to women based on their reproductive health choices, while employers could fire female staff members who were using birth control, or refuse to hire them. And while of course this isn't information most landlords or employers have access to, under SB 5 they could ask women what forms of reproductive health care they are using.
In a statement, the women's rights group NARAL Pro-Choice Missouri described SB 5 as "a disgraceful blow to women and families." Singling out Greiten for particular criticism, the organization added: "Gov. Eric Greitens and his GOP colleagues should be ashamed of their wasteful ‘emergency’ special session and their continued efforts to restrict a woman's access to basic health care. This bill will do nothing to expand access to healthcare or improve the lives of Missouri residents. Instead, it puts Gov. Greitens’s personal political ambitions and out-of-touch agenda ahead of the needs of hard-working Missourians."
The maneuverings come two months after a federal judge struck down two Missouri laws that prevented clinics, apart from a Planned Parenthood outlet in St. Louis, from offering women abortions. It appears SB 5 would override the federal ruling, by mandating new restrictions on abortion clinics that could force some to close.
But the state could run into difficulties enforcing the law if signed. As Feministing reports, the Federal Pregnancy Discrimination Act prevents discrimination against women who have had an abortion. The act, however, makes no mention of birth control. Bustle reports that it is unusual for U.S. laws to target women for using such measures.
http://www.newsweek.com/womens-righ...al&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer
full text of the bill
http://www.senate.mo.gov/17info/pdf-bill/S2/House/HCS-SB/SB0005.pdf
Known as SB 5, the bill was first passed by the Senate on June 14 following a special session called by Greitens. His aim was to overturn an ordinance that prevents employers and housing providers from punishing women for their reproductive health choices, according to a report by Feministing, a feminist website.
The ordinance was passed by the city of St. Louis, and Greitens had said it made the area into “an abortion sanctuary city.” The Senate seemed to agree with him, as did the House, which on Tuesday passed an expanded version of SB 5 that included more anti-abortion restrictions. Given the Senate’s vote on June 14, it it seen as likely to approve the updated version of SB 5. This would mean that landlords could refuse to offer housing to women based on their reproductive health choices, while employers could fire female staff members who were using birth control, or refuse to hire them. And while of course this isn't information most landlords or employers have access to, under SB 5 they could ask women what forms of reproductive health care they are using.
In a statement, the women's rights group NARAL Pro-Choice Missouri described SB 5 as "a disgraceful blow to women and families." Singling out Greiten for particular criticism, the organization added: "Gov. Eric Greitens and his GOP colleagues should be ashamed of their wasteful ‘emergency’ special session and their continued efforts to restrict a woman's access to basic health care. This bill will do nothing to expand access to healthcare or improve the lives of Missouri residents. Instead, it puts Gov. Greitens’s personal political ambitions and out-of-touch agenda ahead of the needs of hard-working Missourians."
The maneuverings come two months after a federal judge struck down two Missouri laws that prevented clinics, apart from a Planned Parenthood outlet in St. Louis, from offering women abortions. It appears SB 5 would override the federal ruling, by mandating new restrictions on abortion clinics that could force some to close.
But the state could run into difficulties enforcing the law if signed. As Feministing reports, the Federal Pregnancy Discrimination Act prevents discrimination against women who have had an abortion. The act, however, makes no mention of birth control. Bustle reports that it is unusual for U.S. laws to target women for using such measures.
http://www.newsweek.com/womens-righ...al&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer
full text of the bill
http://www.senate.mo.gov/17info/pdf-bill/S2/House/HCS-SB/SB0005.pdf