The following statement is attributed to Pam Fichter, President of
Missouri Right to Life:
“For the second year in a row, the Missouri General Assembly has failed to pass the primary pro-life bill which was supported by all pro-life groups in the state. For the second year in a row, the Missouri House sent to the Missouri Senate pro-life legislation that would protect women from coerced abortion, allow mothers to view an ultrasound image of their unborn baby, give them information on their child’s development and alternatives to abortion. For the second year in a row, the Missouri Senate failed to take the necessary steps to pass this legislation.
The Senate’s attempt to compromise with their pro-abortion faction resulted in a shell of a bill which turned back the clock on pro-life efforts in Missouri by eliminating the 24-hour reflection period that passed in 2003, survived a governor’s veto, and been upheld by the courts. The senate compromise version also stripped all language from the bill protecting women from coerced abortion. The House was right in rejecting this compromise bill.
In past years, the Missouri General Assembly has been able to pass effective pro-life legislation in spite of greater opposition than in today’s Senate. Pro-lifers across the state are right to be profoundly disappointed. This disappointment is compounded by the various tax credits and appropriations approved by this legislative body which opens the doors to taxpayer funding of unethical research.”