JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) - Abortion opponents confidently prayed for success Wednesday at the Missouri Capitol as lawmakers convened to try to override a veto of one of the nation's longest abortion-waiting periods.
The Missouri legislation would require women to wait 72 hours after consulting a doctor before having an abortion, the second most stringent mandate behind a similar South Dakota law that can extend even longer because it doesn't count weekends or holidays.
Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon vetoed the legislation earlier this year, calling it "extreme and disrespectful" to women because it contains no exception for cases of rape or incest.
Those exceptions were specifically rejected by majority-party Republicans, who argued they would have diminished the value of some lives based on how they were conceived.
Veto overrides require a two-thirds majority of both chambers in Missouri - a threshold that Republicans can meet without the need of any Democratic votes. Republican legislative leaders and anti-abortion lobbyists all said they were confident the veto will be overridden.
Before lawmakers convened, scores of abortion opponents gathered for a prayer vigil in the Capitol Rotunda, asking that God would grant courage and boldness to lawmakers voting to enact the abortion waiting period. Above them was a banner declaring: "Motherhood ... don't miss it."
Later in the day, larger crowds gathered for rallies both in support and opposition of the legislation. Abortion-rights activists wore purple shirts while abortion foes wore red. Both sides pointed to the personal experiences of women who had abortions.
Linda Raymond, of St. Louis, said she regrets the abortion she had 38 years ago and might have chosen to act differently if she had been offered information about alternatives, seen an ultrasound of the fetus and been required to take more time to think about her decision.
"A 72-hour time frame is compassionate for women," Raymond said.
Liz Read-Katz, of Columbia, said she had an abortion after learning the fetus had a severe chromosomal defect.
"Waiting 72 hours wouldn't have changed my mind, but it most definitely would have caused more pain both mentally and physically," she said.
About half of the states, including Missouri, already have abortion waiting periods of 24 hours. Utah is the only other state besides South Dakota that has 72-hour wait, but it grants exceptions for rape, incest and other circumstances.
Missouri's current waiting period also lacks an exception for rape or incest. It requires physicians to provide women information about medical risks and alternatives to abortion and offer them an opportunity for an ultrasound of the fetus.