Four US states where women can't get divorced if they're pregnant - even in dangerous circumstances Story by Falyn Stempler & Rudi Kinsella • 3h • 3 min read
By: Falyn Stempler & Rudi Kinsella
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
T here are four states in America where a woman can't get divorced if she's pregnant , even if she's suffering from domestic violence, says The American Pregnancy Association.
Even though couples can start the divorce process, they have to wait until after the baby is born to sort out things like who will look after the child and how much money the other parent has to give to help raise the child.
These states are Missouri, Texas , Arizona, and Arkansas. In two of these states Missouri and Texas there are laws that automatically ban abortions in the early stages of pregnancy since Roe v Wade was overturned in June 2022.
Since the Supreme Court made it harder for women to get abortions, there have been some harrowing stories. One woman in Ohio was accused of abusing a corpse after she had a miscarriage in a toilet. Another woman in Texas wasn't allowed to have an emergency abortion by the state Supreme Court after her baby was found to have a rare genetic condition that would probably cause a miscarriage or stillbirth.
But people in power are listening. This month, Missouri State Rep. Ashley Aune put forward a new law to change this and make sure single mums get money to help raise their children.
The Democrat explained she introduced this legislation because the original law, though made with good intentions, needs an update to suit "it just doesn't make sense in 2024."
She said: "I just want moms in difficult situations to get out if they need to. If we are living in a state where we are forcing women to carry pregnancies to term, then we need to make sure that they have an opportunity to escape a bad situation if they're in one."
Adding: "This is something that was brought to me by folks in my community who shared that it was a huge problem."
Election strategists expect debates on abortion and bodily autonomy to emerge as key election issues following their impact on off-year elections, like Ohio introducing special laws to protect abortion rights.
In a committee meeting earlier this month, Aune listened to the stirring tale of a woman trapped in an abusive situation while pregnant.
"Not only was she being physically and emotionally abused but there was reproduction coercion used," reported Aune. "When she found out she was pregnant and asked a lawyer if she could get a divorce, she was essentially told no."
"It was so demoralizing for her to hear that. She felt she had no options."
A report from Missouri's Department of Health and Senior Services found that nearly 5% of women between 2007-2014 were abused either before or during pregnancy. That equates to about 500 women out of the 10,098 women surveyed.
Similarly, a study from the Journal of Women's Health released a study in 2015 that 3%-9% of women experience abuse during pregnancy, showing that low-income, predominantly single women were particularly vulnerable to intimate partner violence during that period of time.
It found that in addition to compromising the mother's health, increasing her risk of insufficient or inconsistent prenatal care, poor nutrition, inadequate weight gain, substance use and increased prevalence of depression, it also led to increase risk of low birth weight, preterm birth, small for gestational age maternal and neonatal death.
"This legislation could literally save lives," said Matthew Huffman who is affiliated with the Missouri Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence. "For abusive partners they might be using reproductive coercion and control to keep their partner pregnant so that they can't ever actually be granted a divorce."
Echoing the study, he added: "Maternal exposure to domestic violence is associated with increased risk of low birth weight, pre-term birth, and infants exposed to it can show signs of trauma."
Aune acknowledged her doubt about the bill making it to Governor Mike Parson's desk during this session. Nonetheless, local advocacy groups have still labelled it as a "top priority."
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Is this 2024 or 1824?
thumper handmaid's tale bullshit...
gee, I hope I'm not made to suffer for the stupidity of other males...
its more fun watching evangelical males suffer...
especially if you're the reason...
fucking over thumpers is good clean fun...
thoughts and prayers...
When Trumpers say that they want to "Make America Great Again", by "Again" they mean the 1800's. Back before they had to deal with Civil Rights, women voting, and justice from the barrel of their gun.
The law in Missouri was from 1973, I believe Trump was a democrat at that time.
Seriously doubt that Trump was ever a liberal.
Trump has never been a democrat.
From August 2001, to September 2009, Trump registered his party affiliation as Democratic. I
it doesn't matter what that sack of shit called himself in the past. he was lying then too...
Before 2011, Trump donated much more to Dem Campaigns than Repub including:
Charlie Rangel
Chuck Schumer
Hillary Clinton
Harry Reid
John Kerry
Carlos Danger
Joe Biden
Trump has been a far-right wing compulsive liar his whole life.
Here's a humorous video that directly addresses the question:
When Was America Great?
those same states are probably on the list of states that don't enforce child support judgements too...
I think Arkansas has a poor track record of child support enforcement
Isn't failing to support a child once born a requirement of a "pro-life" state???
they don't give a fuck about children after the umbilical cord is cut...
pphhhffftttt.............
A 5th grader in Oklahoma turned up 7 month pregnant "convenient euphemism" with her own father's child and grandchild. As she was ineligible for an abortion under Oklahoma laws, the Oklahoma courts let the him and his wife keep both of them!
ewww
The man should be in prison for incest and raping a child
He didn't even get fired...
Oklahoma justice...
maga family values...
SOP for the right.
... on pretty much everything, but hey, look at the bright side. at least your major cities aren't plagued by sausage sucking, mackerel snapping, maga rentboys with trump's mushroom dick hanging out of their pizza pie holes...
'Lil Abner come to life - rednecks galore, singing "I'm My Own Grandpa".
We have a decent population of Catholics in Little Rock
I'm talking about those whose retirement parties take place on the sidewalk between the limo and the restaurant.
Call me slow on the uptake today
fuck it, it's friday.
I actually had to convince myself of that this morning
I hear that. my weekly pill holder got out of sync somehow. oh well, another 1 day extension on a 90 day script.
that's my current version of living dangerously...
cheap thrills.
The last good thing to come out of Little Rock Arkansas was Clyde Clifford From KAAY Beaker Street from 66 to 72. We used to park on a hill and put tin foil on the antennae just to get a clear AM signal from NE Kansas.
we'd drive up behind boulder or up on lookout, and if the atmospherics were right, we could get beaker st. 70-72.
It's 2024 and we should insist it be different from 1824 and stand on its own two feet!
More attempts to throw America back into the Middle Ages, and the beat goes on and on and on.
Don't dis Sonny and Cher! I knew them. Went to Sonny's funeral. Knew Greg as well. Jammed with Chuck Leavell at Ebbets Field in Denver. It was very incestuous in the biz back then.
the A&R guy from WEA used to give me free tickets to ebbets field mid-70's when I worked at a record dist.
<<<<<<< Rushing back to the 18th Century.
I was going to ask, are these laws remenents of old-fashioned "blue laws" ?
When I was growing up in the north east,they were still in effect even in the 1970s.
All I have to say to these states is , wake up , it's the 21st century...
I think they may be. But it wasn't all that long ago that a woman couldn't even open a bank account w/o her husband's signature
I think they were mainly designed to not bastardize children, the bottom line is in 2024 if a man lays hands on his wife all she has to do is get him arrested for spousal abuse, even in Arkansas that is frowned upon.
Weirdest law / ordinance I ever saw that's still on the books, was right here in Wyoming.
In one town here it is illegal to have sex, in a walk in meat locker in that one town.
What the hell happened that created a need for such a law?
Someone was just inspecting the sausages, yeah that's it, that's the ticket.....
LOL!
Let me guess. Two people went into the meat locker to do the nasty and left the door open when they left and ruined all the meat
I don't know, don't want to know, but we all have seen how those freezer doors close and trap people inside, in that case I can't think of a better way to stay warm.... for at least 3 mins.,
Illegitimacy is not the stigma it once was.
My personal opinion is that people should be married first then have children....but that's old-fashioned and outdated, and I stand by that old fashioned and outdated idea
If I remember correctly those doors all have a push handle on the inside to prevent being locked in.
They're supposed to anyway
LOL yup and if movies are to be believed, they always don't work at the worst times.
Sorry, that was me.
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Maybe some guy was caught "doing it" to a frozen cow carcass.
Kansas blue laws didn't end until 87.
We subverted them for many years before then.
The guy just replaced viagra since his woody is frozen in time and space.
he doesn't have the hydraulics to run both shops...
only one battery to operate either the drill or the calculator...
neither at the same time as the other.
I believe that the men that are supporting this should have a bowling ball shoved up their ass and it has to stay there until the divorce is final.
they're probably having trouble finding the underage young republican boys that are able to lift them.
they should try looking in the boston area...
... at the off track betting sites for ponies.
... or mario's pasta palace...
... K of C during friday night fish fry.
As long as it's in the North East. They won't be frying up catfish
it took me awhile to catch on after my ex would fix a tray of fish sticks every friday...
my kids thank me every religious holiday for not subjecting them to any religious indoctrination during childhood.
the LGBTQ members of my extended family are products of the catholic church.
you tell mackerel snappers to drop to their knees enough times, some might not be able to get off them.
yeah!
outside!
tartar sauce made from miracle whip...
Does this law apply if the person who caused the woman to become pregnant is not who she is married to?
it's one of those "heads I win, tails you lose" laws. if there's religion involved, it's the fault of women.
Will the divorce be granted if the man seeks it?
only if he's a member in good standing with the cult.
a 10%er...
ie: thumper dipshit
I think this law was intended to prevent abandonment of pregnant women by their husbands. Keeping pregnant women trapped in abusive marriages was an unintended consequence.
rwnj's find it very difficult to legislate without incorporating the stench of religious dogma ...
Could be, but I recently watched an episode of "Evil Lives Here" where that unattended consequence led to the beating & almost death of the wife (because when she went to get a divorce they made her take a pregnancy test & she was pregnant after he raped her). Not only her, but the children from her first marriage had been abused - so I really believe it has more to do with controlling women - PERIOD.
I'm not defending the outcome, at all. Just saying that I think that wasn't the intent of the law. The best laid plans of mice and men...
They'd have done better to enforce child support payments. That mitigates the effect of abandonment, without increasing physical risk to mothers and kids.
I agree with that, totally.
rwnj's are inept at long term cause and effect thinking...
we live among constant reminders...
I blame medicare...
... for the prolonged suspension of natural selection by the use of chemicals.