Missouri governor concerned about abortion bill

Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon is raising concerns about a bill that would triple the amount of time Missouri women must wait for an abortion.

Nixon called it in “extreme proposal” in a written statement Thursday, just one day after the Republican-led Legislature gave final approval to the legislation.

Nixon criticized lawmakers for not including a rape and incest exemption to the 72-hour timeframe between a woman’s doctor visit and the procedure.

Missouri’s current 24-hour waiting period includes only an exemption for medical emergencies, which would remain under the legislation. Utah and South Dakota also have three-day waiting periods, but Utah’s bill exempts cases of rape or incest.

The bill would need a two-thirds majority vote in the House and Senate for lawmakers to override a veto.

This story was originally published May 15, 2014 at 12:31 PM with the headline "Missouri governor concerned about abortion bill."