Richard Ray Brattin Jr. (born July 22, 1980) is an American politician serving as a Republican state senator from Missouri, representing the 31st district, composing of Cass, Bates, Barton, Henry, and Vernon counties.
He represented Missouri's 55th Legislative District, which encompasses several suburbs of Kansas City in Cass County, including Raymore, Peculiar, and Lake Winnebago.
[citation needed] In December 2014, Brattin proposed legislation that would require women seeking abortions in Missouri to obtain written consent from the father of the fetus, except in cases of "legitimate rape.
He indicated supporting the death penalty for rapists, and suggested that the resulting baby, "by God’s grace, may even be the greatest healing agent you need in which to recover from such an atrocity.
It betrayed a stunning lack of understanding of theology and self-government: The Constitution protects all Americans from the tyranny of any single faith-based approach to secular law.