JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Speaking just more than 12 hours after Democrats ceded their filibuster of legislation that would triple the state’s 24-hour waiting period for abortion, Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon hinted Tuesday that he might take similar action as he has in the past if the House voted to place the legislation on his desk.
Speaking with reporters on Tuesday, Nixon stopped short of saying which action he would take on the bill. On previous abortion bills, Nixon has let them go into effect without his signature. That is allowed under Article III, Section 31 of the Missouri Constitution, which states that without action from the governor, a bill will automatically go into effect.
“Everybody knows which way I’m leaning on that. I’ll act consistent with the actions I’ve had in the past,” he said.
Last year, Nixon vetoed a bill that would have provided employers a religious exemption to opt out of covering certain types of contraception in their insurance policies. A spokeswoman for the governor said Nixon was referring to that bill in his remarks to reporters.
In the past, Nixon has let abortion bills go into effect four times, including on Senate Bill 793 in 2010 (which required state-regulated information to be read to a woman), Senate Bill 65 in 2011 (which related to abortion with respect to viability), House Bill 213 in 2011 (which specified “that no abortion of a viable unborn child can be performed or induced except in certain specified situations”), and House Bill 400 in 2013 (which established “requirements for the administration of RU-486 or any other abortion-inducing drug or chemical).
Democrats agreed to end their filibuster of the 72-hour waiting period for abortion and to not block the Republicans’ early voting proposal in exchange for a promise from Republicans not to bring up ‘Paycheck Protection’ and a ballot question that would allow the legislature to require voters to present photo identification at the polls.
After passing the Senate early Tuesday, the bill needs a final vote in the state House.
(Updated to reflect input from a spokeswoman for Nixon’s office.)