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Something you might have picked up on over the last several weeks<\/a>\/years<\/a>\/centuries<\/a> is that there are a disturbing number of people in power who will go to great lengths to control women in America. Not convinced? Thinking of citing the fact that in some countries, women are stoned to death (as though that makes what happens here okay)? Then we\u2019d like to make you aware of a law in Missouri that says pregnant women cannot get a divorce finalized if they\u2019re pregnant\u2014even if said pregnant people are victims of domestic violence.<\/p>\n That law has been on the books since 1973 and was amended<\/a> in 2016. It\u2019s in the news now because state representative Ashley Aune<\/strong> is horrified. She introduced<\/a> legislation earlier this month that would undo what she called an \u201carchaic loophole.\u201d Speaking to Fox4KC<\/a>, Aune, a Democrat, said, \u201cI just want moms in difficult situations to get out if they need to. This is something that was brought to me by folks in my community who shared that it was a huge problem,\u201d Aune said. In a committee meeting, she shared the story of a woman affected by the existing law, saying: \u201cNot only was she being physically and emotionally abused, but there was reproduction coercion used. 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.\u201d<\/p>\n Aune told The<\/em> Kansas City Star<\/em> she first heard about the law from Synergy Services, which provides services to domestic violence survivors. Sara Brammer,<\/strong> the group\u2019s vice president of domestic violence, told the outlet the law \u201cputs families in a bad position\u201d by dragging out the separation process and puts abuse victims in particularly dangerous positions. Matthew Huffman<\/strong>, who works for the Missouri Coalition Against Domestic & Sexual Violence, told Fox4KC that Aune\u2019s legislation \u201ccould literally save lives…. For abusive partners, they might be using reproductive coercion and control to keep their partner pregnant so that they can\u2019t ever actually be granted a divorce.\u201d<\/p>\n Noting the fact that Missouri has effectively banned all abortion, including in cases of rape and incest<\/a>, Aune said this month: \u201cIn a state where we are currently forcing women to carry babies to term, I think it\u2019s important that, you know, women who are in that position who are also looking to get out of a marriage have the capacity to do so.\u201d\u00a0And yet, she does not have high hopes that her bill will land on Missouri governor Mike Parson<\/strong>\u2019s desk this legislative session. State senator Denny Hoskins,<\/strong> a Republican, told The Kansas City Star<\/em> that while he would be okay to allow divorces in the case of abuse, i.e., the most extreme circumstances, he is not in favor of letting just any pregnant person decide what to do with their lives. \u201cJust because the husband and wife are not getting along, or irreconcilable differences, I would not consider that that would be a good reason to get divorced during a pregnancy,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Surprise: Republicans who claim to support IVF backed a life-at-conception bill<\/strong><\/p>\n