Missouri GOP legislator keeps option open for death penalty for abortion providers

While presenting his bill that would outlaw chemically induced abortions and abortion pills, Missouri State Rep. Brian Seitz (R-Branson) appeared to express openness for a future bill calling for the death penalty for abortion providers.

Seitz made the comments after Rep. Wes Rogers (D-Kansas City) highlighted the severity of punishment in the bill, which goes up to a Class A felony (minimum of 10 years imprisonment and a maximum of 30 years to life in prison).

“It’s a very serious issue, what we’re talking about — what I could consider to be the murder of an infant in the womb and the possible harm and even the [cause] of death if they’re using these drugs in an illegal manner. It could actually kill the woman,” Seitz said. “And I think that penalty is probably not even strict enough.”

“So you’d even go as far as offering the death penalty as a solution?” Rogers asked.

“We’ll have to look at that in other legislation,” Seitz responded.

MO Rep. Seitz (R) leaves open the death penalty for people facilitating abortions.

Seitz: “It’s very serious… the murder of an infant in the womb.”

Rep. Ellebracht (D): “You’d go as far as offering the death penalty?”

Seitz: “We’ll have to look at that in other legislation.” pic.twitter.com/xSVWhde1bI

— Heartland Signal (@HeartlandSignal) March 9, 2022

There were 1,627 violent incidents directed at abortion providers in 2020, according to the National Abortion Federation. The most recent targeted murder of an abortion provider occurred in 2015, when Robert Dear Jr. attacked a Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado Springs, Colo., killing three people and injuring nine in a mass shooting.

Many people and organizations, both in Missouri and across the nation, immediately criticized Seitz’s comments on Twitter.

“Aaaand the bill sponsor just implied he was open to giving abortion providers the death penalty. Without a hint of irony,” the official Missouri House Democratic Caucus account posted. “Extremism abounds in #moleg.”

“Nothing says ‘I’m pro-life’ like calling for the execution of adults for helping women,” tweeted atheism activist Hemant Mehta.

Seitz made national news in January when over a wild refusal to a call by Rep. Shamed Dogan (R-Ballwin) to apologize for repeatedly calling the coronavirus the “China virus.”

Follow Austin on Twitter @AuLinfante