Metro Voice News Celebrating Faith, Family & Community
Hundreds of Missourians rallied in Jefferson City last Saturday as part of the 2020 Midwest March for Life. The upcoming elections were top of mind for many participants.
“When we stop murdering innocent children in our country, everything else takes care of itself,” activist Bridget Van Means said.
The state and abortion-rights advocates continue legal fights on several fronts:
- A federal judge in Kansas City last year put parts of Gov. Mike Parson’s abortion law on hold while the courts determine whether abortions can be banned — except in medical emergencies — at the eighth week of pregnancy.
- The Administrative Hearing Commission is still weighing whether the Department of Health and Senior Services was justified last year in pulling the abortion license of the Planned Parenthood clinic in St. Louis.
- A judge barred Medicaid dollars from going to Planned Parenthood, which operates the state’s only abortion clinic in St. Louis
Abortions in Missouri are in decline, according to figures from the state Department of Health and Senior Services. There were 4,562 abortions in Missouri in 2016, the highest number in the last four years, according to the agency. In 2017 and 2018, the number of abortions decreased to 3,903 and 2,910, respectively. Last year, through Nov. 15, there had been 1,354 abortions, according to the agency. That figure included only six medical, or nonsurgical, abortions, which are completed at home.
Parson, a Republican running for a full term in November, said on Twitter after his speech that “we are creating a culture in Missouri that protects women’s health and defends those who cannot defend themselves. Proud to stand with thousands at the Midwest March for Life today.”
His campaign said he was the first Missouri governor to speak at the Midwest March for Life.
–Alan Goforth | Metro Voice
