2012 Pro-Life Legislative Information

• • Key Votes Explanation
  • Senate Score Card
  • House Score Card

• Archbishop Carlson
• George Wood, General Superindendent, General Council of the Assemblies of God, USA
• Maggie Karner,  Director,  Life  and Health  Ministries The  Lutheran  Church—Missouri  Synod
• Dr. John L. Yeats

Please visit the MRL YouTube page for video clips from the rally.

• Maggie Karner at Missouri Rally for Religious Liberty – link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bn76ofuFZbc
• Darrin Rogers at Missouri Rally for Religious Liberty – link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaNcHnRM9Og
• Dr. John L. Yeats at Missouri Rally for Religious Liberty – link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfVS-SV_7YI
• Abp. Carlson Addresses an Enthusiastic Crowd Rallying for Religious Liberty at MO Capitol – Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSlCSVaiPN8

• Missouri House Passes HCS SS SB 749 Addressing the Rights of Religious Conscience (May 16, 2012)
• Missouri House Passes HB 1357 (May 15, 2012)
• MISSOURI HOUSE PASSES ANOTHER BILL WITH PRO-LIFE PROVISION PROTECTING WOMEN (April 23, 2012)
• U.S. Senate Defeats Blunt Amendment to Protect Religious Freedom (March 1, 2012)
• Judge Rules MOSIRA Is Unconstitutional (February 21, 2012)

• May 7, 2012: Memo delivered to House Health Insurance Committee regarding discussion of rise in abortion statistics when contraception increases.  This memo introduces committee members to the attachments showing the results of research done between 1997 – 2007 that show an increase in abortions when the use of contraception is increased.  Those in the abortion industry are prime for profit with the increase of abortions and therefore stand to profit from pushing more contraceptives and making young teens sexually active.
  • Three pieces of additional documentation of this research:
    • Document 1
    • Document 2
    • Document 3
• April 19, 2012:  Memo delivered to House Members Regarding Support for HCS HB 1274 and HCS HB 1890, 2 separate bills regulating RU486 in different ways.  These bills will ensure protection for women and save lives.
• April 4, 2012: Memo Delivered to House and Senate Members Regarding  Observation on Stem Cell Research Clarifying the Difference Between Adult Stem Cell Research and Embryonic Stem Cell Research
• April 4, 2012: Thank you to House and Senate Members Voting to Advance HCS HB 1541 and SS SB 749, separate bills that address the issue of conscience rights of health care professionals and religious institutions
• March 19, 2012:  Memo Delivered to House Members Regarding Status of Legislation Supported by Missouri Right to Life as We Move Into the Last Half of the 2012 Legislative Session
• February 20, 2012:  Memo to House Members – Copy of Testimony Given in Support of HCR 41
• February 14:  Memo and Pro-Life Action Day Flyer Inviting House and Senate Members to Pro-Life Action Day Rally Sponsored by Missouri Right to Life, Missouri Catholic Conference and the Missouri Baptist Convention.
  • Action Day Flyer
• February 13:  Memo to House Members Thanking The Budget Committee for Removal of Funding for MOSIRA in HB 2014 Supplemental Budget for FY 2012.  MRL will continue to monitor this bill as it moves through the process.  We are working to get pro-life protections if MOSIRA is funded.  
• February 7:  Memo to House Members Regarding HB 2014 Supplemental Budget Including Funding for MOSIRA
• January 4:  Memo of Greeting for Beginning of Legislative Session

• May 2:  Testimony in Support of HB 1933 – Establishes the Abortion Ban for Sex Selection and Genetic Abnormalities Act of 2012 to prohibit an abortion solely due to the sex of the unborn child or a genetic abnormality diagnosis.
• May 1:  Testimony in Support of HCS for HJR 64 – This resolution would prohibit laws interfering with freedom of choice in health care. HJR 64 allows for the people of Missouri to vote to send a message to Washington to stay out of our healthcare. Obamacare requires our tax dollars be used for abortion services and it rations health care to our seniors. The most recent attack on our healthcare system has been the Obama Administration’s attack on people and institutions of faith by issuing an edict that religious institutions and medical personnel must participate in providing abortion- inducing drugs.  This resolution was originally heard in General Laws on April 6 and was sent back to General Laws by the Rules Committee.
• May 1:  Testimony in Support of SS SB 749 – SB 749 sets forth Missouri’s intent to protect religious freedom and conscience rights in any lawsuit which is sure to come as a result of the current administration’s mandate of insurance coverage for abortion-inducing drugs.  SB 749 will seek to provide conscience rights protections related to insurance coverage of objectionable practices until such time as the federal government institutes a contrary mandate and to the extent there is any part of the bill that is not addressed by the mandate.
• April 18:  Testimony in Opposition to HCS HB 1087 – This legislation has pro-life concerns on how end-of-life care will be given or not given to a patient who does not have a durable power of attorney form and is incapacitated.  Missouri Right to Life is working on amendments for this bill.  Until the pro-life concerns in this bill are addressed, MRL will maintain our opposition to the bill.
• March 21: Testimony in Opposition to HB 1607 – This legislation requires the State of Missouri to produce information about emergency contraception that misleads women to believe that EC always prevents a pregnancy when in reality EC sometimes aborts a baby early in his/her stage of life.  The bill also requires hospitals and health care facilities to provide emergency contraception to sexual assault victims without requiring complete disclosure.  A woman who has been violated by the horrendous act of a rape has the right to know how EC works.
• March 6: Testimony in Support of HJR 64 – This resolution would prohibit laws interfering with freedom of choice in health care. HJR 64 allows for the people of Missouri to vote to send a message to Washington to stay out of our healthcare. Obamacare requires our tax dollars be used for abortion services and it rations health care to our seniors. The most recent attack on our healthcare system has been the Obama Administration’s attack on people and institutions of faith by issuing an edict that religious institutions and medical personnel must participate in providing abortion- inducing drugs.
• March 6: Testimony in Support of HB 1534 – This bill declares the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act as unauthorized by the United States Constitution and creates criminal penalties for persons enforcing or attempting to enforce the act. MRL opposes the provisions of the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Sometimes called Obamacare) that mandate for federal tax dollars to be used for abortion services. We also oppose the health care rationing found in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
• February 29:  Testimony in Support of HB 1435 – Repeals the provisions which allow a pregnancy resource center tax credit to be transferred and the provisions regarding its sunset on August 28, 2012
• February 22:  Testimony in Support of HB 1357 – This bill would protect the First Amendment Rights of alternatives-to-abortion agencies and its officers, agents, employees, and volunteers to freely assemble and to freely engage in religious practices and speech without governmental interference.
• February 20:  Testimony in Support of HCR 41 – This Resolution sends a message to Washington objecting to the most recent regulation under the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) that will require religious hospitals and institutions to choose between offering insurance coverage to their employees which provide birth control, sterilization procedures, and abortifacients, such as the “morning after pill”, services which are contrary to the religious tenets and beliefs of the Catholic Church, other churches, and religious organizations who operate such hospitals and institutions, or decide not to provide health insurance coverage to their employees and pay the penalty imposed under PPACA.
• February 15:  Testimony in Support of HB 1278 – Extends the provisions regarding the tax credit for a contribution to a pregnancy resource center from August 28, 2012, to December 31, 2016.  This tax credit benefits all the great work of the Pregnancy Resource Centers across the State of Missouri as they help women in crisis pregnancies.
• February 8: Testimony in Support of HB 1385 – This bill is simply an accounting bill that makes public the amount of federal taxpayer dollars that are being received by organizations that profit from performing abortions. This information would be filed with the Missouri State Department of Health
• February 8:  Testimony For Information Only on HB 1541 – Conscience Rights Bill with Pro-Life Concerns
  • MRL Amendment for HB 1541
  • MRL Amendment for HB 1541
  • NOTE:  HCS HB 1541 now includes amendments requested by MRL that take care of Missouri Right to Life’s concerns. At this time MRL moves our full support to the HCS HB 1541. We will continue to monitor the bill for any changes that might change our position.
• February 8:  Statement Regarding HB 2014 – Supplemental 2012 Budget and Funding for MOSIRA (Missouri Science Innovation and Reinvestment Act)
• February 1:  Testimony in Support of HB 1274 – The Abortion Inducing Drugs Safety Act:  RU-486 or any other abortion-inducing drug can only be administered in a hospital or abortion facility.

• May 9: Testimony in Support of HCS HB 1274 – The Abortion Inducing Drugs Safety Act: RU-486 or any other abortion-inducing drug can only be administered in a hospital or abortion facility.
• May 9:  Testimony in Support of HCS HB 1383 – HCS HB 1383 is simply an accounting bill.  It would require reporting of all those who receive federal tax dollars.  This bill would look to see if our federal tax dollars that go to abortion providers in the State of Missouri could be redirected to those agencies operating under the Alternative to Abortion program.  If women want abortions they should not be asking us to pay for it with our tax dollars.
• May 9:  Testimony in Support of HCS HB 1534 – Pro-Life Missourians oppose the so-called Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act – PPACA (Obamacare) because it uses our federal tax dollars to fund abortion and it rations health care.  We believe it is necessary for our elected officials to do all they can to protect the rights of the citizens of Missouri and look for ways to stop Washington from forcing us to pay for abortions.  HCS HB 1534 addresses the constitutionality of the PPACA.
• April 19:  Testimony in Support of HCS HB 1278 & 1152 – Extends the provisions regarding the tax credit for a contribution to a pregnancy resource center from August 28, 2012 to December 31, 2016.  This tax credit benefits all the great work of the Pregnancy Resource Centers across the State of Missouri as they help women in crisis pregnancies.
• April 11:  Testimony given in Support of HCS HB 1541.   HCS HB 1541  gives conscience rights protection for health care providers and institutions and greatly expands the conscience protections that we currently have in statute by giving protections not only for medical personnel but also for those who work in the field of medical research.   MRL Amendments tightened up the language of the bill and resolved our concerns therefore moving MRL to full support of the HCS HB 1541 as perfected by the Full House.
• March 6: Testimony in Support of SB 658 – This bill enacts provisions regarding safety procedures for the use of abortion-inducing drugs and bans tele-med video conferencing for chemical abortions.
• March 6: Testimony in Support of SB 772 – This bill enacts provisions regarding the prescribing and administering of abortion-inducing drugs and bans tele-med video conferencing for chemical abortions.
• March 6: Testimony in Support of SB 745 – This bill would protect the First Amendment Rights of alternatives-to-abortion agencies and its officers, agents, employees, and volunteers to freely assemble and to freely engage in religious practices and speech without governmental interference.
• February 14:  Testimony in Support of SB 749 – Provides protections for religious beliefs as to the imposition of certain health care services such as abortion, contraception, or sterilization.  SB 749 was voted out of the Senate Small Business, Insurance and Industry Committee by a vote of 6 yes and 2 no.
• February 14:  Testimony for Information Only on SB 657 Because of Pro-Life Concerns – Provides for the conscience rights of all individuals who provide medical services.  Missouri Right to Life has concerns that this language is too broad.  We have given the sponsor an amendment and are working with him to tighten up the language of SB 657.  Our final position on the bill is yet to be determined based on what the final language will be.  Please watch for further information on this.
  • MRL Amendment for HB 1541 & SB 657
  • MRL Amendment for HB 1541 & SB 657
  • NOTE:  SCS SB 657 now includes amendments requested by MRL that take care of Missouri Right to Life’s concerns. At this time MRL moves our full support to the SCS SB 657. We will continue to monitor the bill for any changes that might change our position.
• February 14:  Testimony in  Support of SJR 39 – Prohibits laws interfering with freedom of choice in health care.  SJR 39 allows for the people of Missouri to vote to send a message to Washington to stay out of our healthcare.  Obamacare requires our tax dollars be used for abortion services and it rations health care to our seniors.   The most recent attack on our healthcare system has been the Obama Administration’s attack on people and institutions of faith by issuing an edict that religious institutions and medical personnel must participate in providing abortion- inducing drugs.