Today, May 9, 2024, Governor Parson signed 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. The legislature has now successfully placed the pro-life language, which will go into effect at the end of August, in statute.
In December, Planned Parenthood staff in Missouri were filmed by Project Veritas, 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.
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In their recently 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, according to their report, 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, to the many pro-life Representatives and Senators who voted to stop the subsidization of the abortion industry and protect pre-born babies and their mothers. We also thank Governor Parson for signing this important legislation protecting the most vulnerable of Missourians, our preborn babies and protecting Missouri tax payers from funding the destruction of innocent human life.
LifeNews Note: Susan Klein is the Executive Director of Missouri Right to Life.
