Early Saturday morning, June 26^th, the Missouri Senate passed the Federal Reimbursement Allowance (FRA) legislation with no pro-life language preventing abortion providers from receiving our public tax dollars.
It is important to note that this vote came after the public testimony of the nation’s number one abortion provider, Planned Parenthood, who testified that they receive funding from the Medicaid program. With the serious risk that the Hyde Amendment will be going away in this Medicaid program, with the MO Supreme Court ruling that the legislators can no longer put pro-life protections in the budget and with the looming Medicaid Expansion court battle, it is imperative to have strong pro-life language to prevent our public tax dollars from paying for abortions.
Planned Parenthood testified very clearly in the hearing and it was reaffirmed on the Senate floor that they receive their funding from Medicaid in the larger overall program.  After the MO Supreme Court decision that restricts pro-life protections from going in the budget bills, Planned Parenthood received several million dollars in back payments from the MO Department of Health and Senior Services.
Missouri Right to Life opposes SB 1 as it was passed in the Senate and we call upon the Missouri House to add simple and effective pro-life language to statute 208.152 that reads: “provided, no funds shall be expended to any abortion facility, as defined in section 188.015 or any affiliate or associate thereof”.
The legislature does not have to choose between getting Medicaid dollars and preventing our tax dollars from going to abortion providers, they can do both.  How much money Planned Parenthood receives from Medicaid is immaterial.  What is the price of one human life? Pro-life Missourians are appalled that even one abortion would be paid for with our tax dollars.