A proposed amendment in the Missouri legislature would allow citizens to sue anyone who helps Missouri residents get an abortion, even if they live outside the state.
Missouri already has one of the nation’s strictest abortion laws, but this legislation would allow people to sue out of state doctors who perform abortions and even people who provide transportation to women who are going to get abortions. It also allows a judge to award at least $10,000 in damages if the citizen’s suit is successful.
Republican state Rep. Mary Elizabeth Coleman said the policy is designed to target a Planned Parenthood clinic in Illinois across the river from St. Louis, which opened with the goal of serving patients from Missouri.
The proposal could be voted on at any time before the session ends in May.