Twenty years ago, Cecelie Williams tried to finalize her divorce while pregnant. She had enough of the physical abuse she had been suffering at the hands of her then-husband.

There was one problem. Pregnant women are not allowed to finalize their divorce in Missouri. State law only allows women to file – not finalize – their divorce if they are pregnant.

Fast forward to 2025. That law is still on the books in the Show Me State, but not for long if Williams can help it.

She is now a member of the Missouri House of Representatives, and her number one priority is updating this archaic law.

On Thursday, the House passed the freshman lawmaker’s bill. Her legislation received unanimous House approval – an uncommon occurrence in what can be an often politically-divided chamber.

Moments after the bill’s passage, Williams was showered with hugs and a standing ovation from many of her colleagues. Missourinet caught up with her while the news was still sinking in.

“It’s really unfortunate that we would hold something that is a civil union between two people almost hostage and not allow them to get a dissolution until after the pregnancy is over. And so, this was a big win for Missouri families, men and women on both sides,” she said.

Williams, R-Dittmer, spoke about her story this week during debate and last month during a House committee hearing on her bill.

She recalled a time when her husband hit her in the face with a baseball bat while her seven-year-old child hid in the corner. She remembers many moments of terror, manipulation, and harassment.

Despite sharing those painful memories for the whole world to hear, she somehow did not lose her composure once.

“My husband took his life eleven days before our divorce would have been finalized. I knew on that day that I was going to be able to tell him everything I needed to tell him. I didn’t get that opportunity. These days have been that opportunity for me,” she said.

According to Williams, after filing her bill and speaking about the nightmare she lived to tell, it became very apparent that her wounds have not healed.

“We have a duty to protect our constituents, both male and female, and I can’t wait till we know that this is law. It will be my independence day, because no woman or man will have to endure what I’ve had to endure and go through something longer than necessary,” she said.

Williams told Missourinet what made her go on during her darkest moments.

“My four children,” Williams said. “At the time that my husband took his life, they were 7, 5, 2, and six months old. I was 25 years old. He was 28. Being just a young adult myself, I knew that I was all that they had left.”

Williams said she wishes she would have spoken up when she was being abused.

“I’m not a victim. I’m a survivor. I was a victim,” she said. “When you start to talk about it, it becomes real. As you are being abused, pieces of you are taken slowly until you no longer recognize yourself. I always thought that I would never be the woman that would be abused – ever. I would just leave.”

Her advice to victims?

“The most important thing is to end the silence, so that we can stop the violence,” she said.

Williams has moved on and has been able to rebuild her life. Now remarried to a childhood friend, they have seven children.

House Bill 243 heads to the Missouri Senate, where it will have similar steps to tackle.