A bill co-sponsored by Missouri Democratic Congressman Emanuel Cleaver would bar states from considering a woman’s pregnancy status when finalizing a divorce. The Democrat who represents Kansas City in the U.S. House told Missourinet that many states have laws that make it hard for women to get out of abusive marriages.
“What a lot of this legislation is doing, under the guise of trying to strengthen families, is putting all kinds of onerous responsibilities on women,” Cleaver said.
In Missouri, a pregnant woman can file for divorce but it cannot be finalized until she is no longer pregnant.
“It’s just, you know, one of those things that should embarrass every person in the state when we start making these laws to further infringe on the freedoms of women,” Cleaver said. “And…men are not required to do anything, but we put it all on women.”
A similar bill was filed in the Missouri House earlier this year. It got a public hearing but was never voted on.
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