Blunt signs bills, ends special session

Changes to abortion laws dictate that minors or anyone with potential gain cannot serve as “next friend” in the act of an abortion, and no one can assist a minor in an abortion without consent. Any unlicensed physician who attempts to induce or perform an abortion can be charged with a Class B felony, and any licensed physician who performs an abortion must provide OB/GYN care at a hospital located within 30 miles of the act.

Federal Judge Nanette Laughery blocked enforcement of this law Friday. Laughery objected to the legislation for its “chilling effect” on abortion counseling in Missouri and nearby states.

Blunt also signed a correction to workers’ compensations legislation that eliminates a phrase that denies coverage for accidental injuries or deaths while on the job. Both the House and Senate defeated an emergency clause that would have put the bill into effect immediately. The vote split along party lines.

A substitute to alcohol crime laws changes a penalty for allowing a minor to drink from a Class A misdemeanor to a Class B misdemeanor. It also allows those charged with second degree murder in an alcohol-related offense to be considered a chronic offender.

A final piece passed in the session prohibits anyone from posting the name, home address, Social Security number or telephone number of a person on the Internet with the intent of causing harm. The final version of the bill did not include a section that would have prohibited information about public officials from being posted.