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Missouri won't let pregnant people get a divorce

Missouri is one of just four states where people aren’t allowed to get a divorce while they're pregnant. Advocates worry the law prevents people in domestic violence situations from being able to leave. State Rep. Ashley Aune, a Democrat from Kansas City, wants to change that.

One of the requirements for a divorce in Missouri is that no one in the relationship is pregnant. The statute was intended to protect child support payments in case of a divorce, but critics say it doesn’t take abuse from either party into consideration.

Missouri state Rep. Ashley Aune represents the 14th District in Kansas City’s Northlands, and she introduced a bill to allow divorces if a person is pregnant. Up To Date’s Steve Kraske spoke with Aune about the issue and its prospects in the legislature.

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Kansas City Today is hosted by Nomin Ujiyediin. It is produced by Anna Schmidt and KCUR Studios, and edited by Madeline Fox and Gabe Rosenberg.

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As a newscaster and a host of a daily news podcast, I want to deliver the most important and interesting news of the day in an engaging and easily understandable way. No matter where you live in the metro or what you’re interested in, I want you to learn something from each newscast or podcast – and maybe even give you something to talk about at the dinner table.
Anna Schmidt is the fall 2023 intern for KCUR Studios. She recently graduated from Kansas State University, where she was the Opinions Desk Editor for the Collegian student newspaper and took over the role of podcast host. You can email her at anna.schmidt@kcur.org.
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