JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon has vetoed legislation that would have required a 72-hour waiting period for women seeking abortions.
Nixon said he vetoed the bill Wednesday because it didn’t include an exception for rape and incest victims. The Democratic governor said the bill showed “a callous disregard for women who find themselves in horrific circumstances.”
The measure would have made Missouri just the third state nationally to require a 72-hour waiting period, along with South Dakota and Utah. Utah’s law includes an exception for victims of rape and incest, and people under age 14.
Missouri currently requires a 24-hour wait between when a woman consults a physician and receives an abortion.
The Missouri Legislature would need a two-thirds vote in both chambers to override Nixon’s veto.
