Free Republic

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — A federal judge has denied a request by Missouri to allow a ban on abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy to go into effect while the state waits for further court action. The Kansas Star reports that U.S. District Court Judge Howard Sachs had previously paused parts of Missouri's new abortion law. It was set to go into effect Aug. 28 and criminalizes abortions after eight weeks of pregnancy. It also triggered bans at 14, 18 and 20 weeks if the initial eight-week ban was found unconstitutional.

Thomas Jefferson said that the care and protection of human life was the first order of business for any decent government, but Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid has a fundamentally different opinion of the pro-life bill to ban abortions after 20 weeks. He calls it America’s “worst nightmare.” Reporter John McCormack of the Weekly Standard reports that that’s thharryreid5e verbiage Reid used in an email to his political action committee’s supporters bout the bill to protect unborn babies late in pregnancy who are capable of feeling intense pain in an abortion. Harry Reid has long insisted that he’s “pro-life” on...

Republicans on Capitol Hill this week suffered an embarrassing defeat after being forced to drop legislation that would have outlawed abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy. But similar legislation is likely to advance in state capitols around the country this year. Abortion opponents like the Susan B. Anthony List and Americans United for Life call the 20-week ban, dubbed the Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act in many states, their top priority in legislative sessions getting underway this month. “The five month late term abortion limit is an important part of our premier legislative project,” said Ovide Lamontagne, general counsel...

HERSHEY, Pa. — A group of female GOP lawmakers is trying to pressure the Republican leadership team to make changes to a 20-week abortion ban the House is set to vote on next week. Led by Rep. Renee Ellmers of North Carolina, the lawmakers are protesting language that requires a rape victim to formally report her assault to police to qualify for an exemption from the legislation’s abortion restrictions. Ellmers raised the concerns during a closed-door meeting at the GOP retreat here, according to sources in the room. Her office did not have a comment on Friday on the discussions...