Hovis, a 30-year veteran of the Cape Girardeau Police Department, who was first elected to state government in 2018, was talking about the sexual assault cases he had handled as a police officer, saying most weren't strangers "jumping out of bushes," the Star reported.

"That was one, two times out of 100," he said. "Most of them were date rapes or consensual rapes, which were all terrible."

“Most of my rapes were not the gentleman jumping out of the bushes that nobody ever met. That was 1 or 2 times out of hundred.

Most of them were date rapes or consensual rapes...."

Rep Barry Hovis as he supports MO abortion bill.@KCTV5 pic.twitter.com/TNclUVJD5g — Angie Ricono (@angiericono) May 17, 2019

WOW: Just after Missouri Rep @MariaChappelleN emotionally shares her #YouKnowMe story of being raped, Republican Rep @BarryHovis calls rapists "gentlemen" and there is such a thing as "consensual rape" arguing for an extreme abortion bill that forces rape victims to give birth. pic.twitter.com/UK0RsilNva — Arlen Parsa (@arlenparsa) May 17, 2019

Hovis’ Democratic colleague Rep. Raychel Proudie immediately corrected Hovis on the House floor, saying “there is no such thing as consensual rape.”

Hovis later told The Associated Press that he meant to say "date rapes or consensual or rape."

“It’s my apology if I didn’t enunciate the word ‘or,’” he said.

The House passed the anti-abortion bill, which provides no exceptions in cases of rape or incest, on a 110-44 vote, the Star reported, and sent it to the state's Republican Gov. Mike Parson.

Parson is expected to sign the bill.

Here's the full speech/comment from Rep. Barry Hovis where he uses the term "consensual rape" discussing the abortion bill. He later said he misspoke. (@kmbc) pic.twitter.com/NXAlyb1tVm — William Joy (@WilliamKMBC) May 17, 2019

Here's why rape victims shouldn't get an exception from abortion laws, per Rep. Barry Hovis. "Most of the rapes" he saw in law enforcement didn't involve "gentlemen jumping out of bushes. Most of them were date rapes or consensual rapes..." https://t.co/31SpFiH6kX — Sarah Fenske (@sarahfenske) May 17, 2019

People will rightly call out Missouri Sate Rep. Barry Hovis for this “consensual rape” nonsense. But if you want to know what patriarchy looks like, it’s the first words out of his mouth where he calls the violent rapists he encountered as a police offer “gentlemen.” pic.twitter.com/Mk3s4aPysb — Eric T (@Eric_T_MPLS) May 17, 2019

Thank you Rep Barry Hovis for being the 2019 version of Todd Akin.



I'm now rather concerned about any women who you were responsible for serving and protecting in your considerable amount of time on the force. #moleg https://t.co/gmn0qqoorD — Greg Boege (@SombraAla) May 17, 2019