Missouri lawmaker proposes prohibiting vasectomies in response to banning contraception

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Intro:	As a response to bills banning birth control, some Missouri lawmakers push to ban vasecetomies.
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Wrap: A Missouri House committee held a public hearing for legislation that seeks to prohibit vasectomies unless it is necessary to save the life of a patient.

Democratic Representative Stacey Newman says she sponsored the bill in response to the proposed ban on contraception.

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Description: "What we are trying to do is point out the hypocrisies"

Any person who performs or receives an unnecessary vasectomy could be penalized with a felony charges and more than 1,000 hours of community service.

Republican Representative Kathie Conway says there is an issue with adding the penalty for a vasectomy and comparing it to abortion.

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Description: "Well I think they are apples to oranges."

The committee did not vote on the bill.

Reporting from the state Capitol I'm Natalia Allen.

Intro:	Missouri lawmakers respond to bills banning birth control by proposing a bill banning vasectomies.
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Wrap: Democratic Representative Stacey Newman sponsors the bill.

She says the ability to reproduce should be fair and apply to both men and women.

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Description: "To basically point out that these government restrictions need to be equal when we are talking about reproductive health and family planning issues."

However, Republican Representative Kathie Conway says she does not think this bill creates equality because it seeks to penalize males who get vasectomies.

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Description: "I think that, that this bill was trying to equate it to abortion and not really it's counterpart in females, which would be tubal ligation."

If this legislation passes, men who illegally get vasectomies could receive felony charges.

Reporting from the state Capitol I'm Natalia Allen.