ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - A new bill is looking to amend Missouri's divorce law for pregnant women.
Currently in the state, judges can't finalize a divorce if a woman is pregnant. A woman can file for a divorce while she's pregnant, but the court has to wait until a woman gives birth before finalizing child custody and support.
Democratic State Representative Ashley Aune said she wants to do away with this law, fearing that women in abusive situations are getting stuck with the people they're trying to get away from.
"For folks who already struggle to get out of this situations, folks who have struggled time and time again to get out of an abusive situation, to be told that divorce isn't possible... that is really harrowing for some folks," Rep. Aune said.
This current bill also has some langugae that Aune said is outdated for the year 2024.
"The statute was written to 'prevent the bastardization of a child,'" Aune said. "And that was language that was used at the time and apparently still used in the courts, and there are ways that we can solve for that."
Aune's new bill would give judges the authority to grant a divorce in the situations of abuse, something that is not already written into law.
"Often what [abuse in these situations] looks like is sabotaging birth control, or not allowing someone to receive any kind of reproductive healthcare, spousal rape, all sorts of things to keep women pregnant and stuck inside of a marriage," Aune said.
HB 2402 is not on the House schedule right now, and it has already had one hearing on February 7th. The bill is co-sponsored by Democrat Representative Richard Brown, Republican Representative Jeff Farnan and Republican Representative Sherri Gallick.