JEFFERSON CITY A bill seeking to regulate the donation of fetal tissue will move onto the Senate after more than an hour of debate in the House on Monday night that ranged from discussion of the animal kingdom to accusations of grandstanding.

The bill,sponsored by Rep. Diane Franklin, R-Camdenton, would prohibit the donation of fetal tissue from an abortion for medical research, unless it is used to determine the reason for an anomaly, illness, death or paternity of a fetus or for law enforcement purposes.

The bill would also establish annual unannounced inspections of abortion facilities and would require all tissue removed during an abortion to be submitted to a pathologist who would draft a detailed report. Currently, only a sample of the tissue is required to be sent by law.

Rep. Stacey Newman, D-St. Louis, was the first to speak out against the bill, saying she felt it was based on "alternative facts." Newman reminded the House that videos allegedly showing Missouri Planned Parenthood representatives selling aborted tissue in 2015 were proven to be highly edited.

Since the allegations in 2015, the Missouri General Assembly has pushed for stricter abortion regulations, despite an investigation by then-Attorney General Chris Koster's finding that no laws were violated in disposing of the aborted tissue, according to previous Missourian reporting.

Newman said lawmakers were wasting taxpayers' time by discussing a bill that "goes even further and imposes even more regulations," in light of the injunction's striking restrictions. "Why do we keep wanting to pass legislation that we already know is unconstitutional?"

Much of the debate between representatives not only centered around the law but when life begins.

"Do you want to live?," Rep. Keith Frederick, R-Rolla, asked Rep. Sarah Unsicker, D-Shrewsbury, across the House floor.

"I do," Frederick continued. "If you get to the point in your life that you don't want to live anymore, you need professional, psychiatric help to get you out of that dark place. So I think it's pretty obvious that the child before birth wants to live just like you and I want to live. If you'd ask them, they'd say, 'Yes, I do.'"

"The fetus can't answer," Unsicker replied.

Frederick then interjected, "I know, that's why we have to answer for them."

Rep. Paul Curtman, R-Washington, and Rep. Rick Brattin, R-Harrisonville, both rejected the accusation that the right to life is a position based in religious dogma. Curtman spoke of the Non-Aggression Principle, which states that, "By virtue of being alive, at any stage of development a life has at least a natural right to at least continue living."

"I hold in my hand all these studies from embryology and scientific research in regards to the beginning of life," Brattin said before he began to read from a study arguing that life begins at conception.

The conversation veered toward the lack of abortion in animals.

"You know, I like Discovery Channel and things like that, and I was watching a video the other day about animals and about how they cherish their young," Rep. Charlie Davis, R-Webb City, said. "Not a single species of animal aborted their babies."

"Do you know what the penalty is for destroying a bald eagle egg, Mr. Speaker?" asked Rep. Mike Moon, R-Ash Grove."One bald eagle egg: $100,000 fine and there could also be some prison time as well. What are we thinking as a human society? We protect the eagles, we protect the spotted owls... but a baby?"

Rep. Joe Adams, D-University City, questioned lawmakers who said they're pro-life, yet voted against things like funding for K-12 education.

"I mean if you're really truly pro-life shouldn't you be voting for things that take care of people after they're born also?" Adams said.

Rep. John McCaherty, R-High Ridge, shot back and later questioned Adams if he had ever voted against an agriculture bill. When Adams acknowledged he had, McCaherty questioned him, "So you're anti-food?" and accused Adams of grandstanding as the representatives began to speak over each other.

The debate was cut short when Assistant Majority Floor Leader Rep. Kevin Austin, R-Springfield, called for a vote.Over an hour of debate after the bill was introduced, it was passed 117-40.

See more here:
Abortion regulation bill heads to Senate for hearing - Columbia Missourian