Yes, you read that headline correctly.
In a story noted on Broadly, Missouri State Senator Bob Onder (R), opposed a tax increase that would benefit the St. Louis Zoo. Why? Partly because the bill would ban employers from discriminating against employees who’ve had an abortion, use contraception, or are pregnant.
Onder then gave a fiery speech which drew parallels between abortion clinics and the zoo. He incorrectly noted that McDonald’s and the St. Louis Zoo offer more regulations than abortion clinics. Then, ever the Batman to his Robin, Onder’s cohort, Senator Wayne Wallingford (R) chimed in with damnatory comments. "Maybe we should send the people that want an abortion to the St. Louis Zoo, because we know it'll be safer," he said.
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“You know, it's funny that you say that, Senator. That's another line of questioning I wanted to point out,” Onder responded.
He proceeded to explain that the St. Louis Zoo required a five-day waiting period before euthanizing an animal. Then — perhaps in an effort to dig himself into a deeper sexist hole — he mentioned that before having an abortion procedure, Missouri clinics require women to wait three days after meeting with their doctor.
“Let’s think about this. Babies, it’s three days, so although there are members of this body who don’t agree with that three days, babies are three days,” Onder said. “So, zoo animals, it couldn’t be more than 24 hours, right?”
So yes, he just compared a woman’s legal right to terminate a pregnancy to euthanizing animals.
The comments received a great deal of backlash, prompting Onder to defend his opinions in an interview on The Marc Cox Show, a local radio program. “When we're debating on the Senate floor, sometimes we make serious proposals, and sometimes they're tongue-in-cheek to make a point," Onder said. "The humorlessness and the lack of appreciation for irony and satire on the left is on full display here."