|
The following statement is from Susan Klein, Executive Director of Missouri Right to Life:
Today, May 25, 2024, the Missouri General Assembly truly agreed to and finally passed HB 2634, putting in statute language that restricts tax-payer funds from going to abortion providers and their affiliates.
Prior to 2020, Missouri restricted family planning funds to abortion providers through the budget process. In 2020, Planned Parenthood and others filed suit against that defunding process and the Missouri Supreme Court agreed that it was unconstitutional but also stated that the defunding could be done by placing the pro-life protective language in statute. Since then, the legislature has attempted to use different language in the budget which has all been found unconstitutional. This year, HB 2634 contained pro-life language to be placed in statute.
In December, Project Veritas filmed Planned Parenthood employees stating that they would take minor girls across state lines for abortions without their parents’ knowledge or consent. In February, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey filed suit against Planned Parenthood for violations of Missouri laws.
In their just released 2022-2023 annual report, Planned Parenthood reported total income of over 2 billion dollars. For the year the annual report covers, Planned Parenthood performed 392,715 abortions, or about 4 in 10 abortions, and abortions outnumbered prenatal care 62 to 1. In addition, Planned Parenthood boosted its abortion numbers by facilitating “transportation and travel support, financial assistance, and referrals.”
Pro-life Missourians are grateful to House Sponsor, Representative Cody Smith and Senate Handler, Senator Mary Elizabeth Coleman and the Missouri legislators who voted for protecting our firmly held beliefs in the sanctity of human life and prohibiting our tax-dollars from subsidizing the destruction of innocent unborn babies.
| 
