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Missouri Republicans #crackpot #fundie #forced-birth stltoday.com

Despite recent blowups among Republicans in the Missouri Senate, the majority party remained unified Wednesday to block a Democratic effort to legalize abortion in cases of rape or incest.

All Republicans present voted down amendments by Sen. Tracy McCreery, D-Olivette, to legalize abortion in cases of rape and incest.

Sen. Sandy Crawford, R-Buffalo, said she opposed exceptions for rape and incest because life is precious. “God is perfect. God does not make mistakes. And for some reason he allows that to happen — bad things happen,” she said. “I’m not gonna be able to support the amendments because I am very pro-life.”

The Senate ended debate for the night before a vote could occur on an amendment by Sen. Doug Beck, D-south St. Louis County, which would authorize abortion if the pregnant girl was 12 or younger. Beck raised concerns about health issues for child rape victims forced to carry their pregnancies to term.

The amendment led to a pointed exchange between Beck and Sen. Bill Eigel, R-Weldon Spring, who is running for governor.

“You want to bring back the institution of abortion so that kids can get abortions in the state of Missouri,” Eigel said to Beck. “A 1-year-old could get an abortion under this,” Eigel said.

“I don’t know that a 1-year-old could get pregnant, senator,” Beck said.

“You’re OK with forced birth of a child being raped, right?” Beck asked Eigel.

“I don’t support the institutions of rape or of incest. But your amendment doesn’t address those,” Eigel said.

Ferguson protesters #racist stltoday.com

A day of peaceful commemoration of the second anniversary of Michael Brown’s death was marred Tuesday night when gunfire broke out after a protester was struck by a motorist.

After a quiet morning vigil and evening church service, the night turned violent when a car struck a protester standing on West Florissant Avenue.

Others among the roughly 75 protesters began trying to cut off the car, which then reversed direction to try to avoid the crowd, according to several witnesses.

At that point, witnesses said, several protesters pulled out guns and began chasing and firing at the fleeing car.

“I just started screaming, and the bullets started flying, and I started screaming some more,” said Heather DeMian, of St. Charles, a regular protester who has been live-streaming Ferguson protests.

It appears the driver did not intentionally strike the protester, according to Ferguson spokesman Jeff Small, who said the woman is being “very, very cooperative” with police.

"Investigators say the woman was simply driving down West Florissant at nighttime, unaware someone was standing in the street, until it was too late to stop before hitting them," Small said in a statement Wednesday morning.

He said there were bullet holes in the woman’s car, but no one in the vehicle was injured.

Police arrived at the scene within a minute, Small said. No arrests were made, and the extent of the injuries to the protester who was struck is unknown because the man was taken from the scene in a private vehicle, Small said.

Two people who were shaken up as the crowd fled the gunfire were taken to a hospital by ambulance.