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The passage of HCS SB 5, a wide-ranging pro-life measure, into law was the result of a special session. Governor Eric Greitens signed the bill into law today.
In a statement, Greitens said, “Today is a great victory for pregnancy care centers that help women and children all over the state.” He added, “I’m proud that many of Missouri’s lawmakers stood strong to protect the lives of the innocent unborn and women’s health.”
Missouri Right to Life expressed gratitude to Governor Greitens for convening the special session and for his support of the pro-life legislation. The National Right to Life Committee’s state affiliate hailed the measure as “one of the strongest pro-life bills to be passed by the Missouri Legislature in many years.”
Assistant Senate Majority Leader Bob Onder told the Kansas City Star that this was “probably one of the most important bills” he had ever been involved with in his legislative career.
Six weeks after Governor Greitens called the legislature back to Jefferson City (the regularly scheduled session ended in May), the Senate voted 22-9 to pass a measure with a number of provisions. According to Missouri RTL, the measure includes the following provisions:
- “Ensuring that our top law enforcement officer, the Attorney General, has equal jurisdiction with a local prosecutor. This is needed when a local prosecutor is pro-abortion and refuses to uphold the laws when an abortion clinic or abortionist breaks the law.”
- The bill also includes provisions for annual unannounced inspections of abortion clinics to ensure compliance with the law.
- It also provides whistleblower protections for employees of abortion clinics who witness violations of the law and wish to report them, but are concerned about the repercussions from abortionists.
The latter alludes to what we reported here previously. In February, the city of St. Louis passed Ordinance 70459, which pro-life opponents have described as creating an “Abortion Sanctuary City.” The ordinance prohibits any organization, church, or business from hiring or firing employees—even excluding from membership in the case of churches—on the bases of what the code refers to as “reproductive health decisions or pregnancy status.”
State Sen. Onder and others argued that this effectively compelled pro-life entities to support and even fund abortions of their own employees.
Daniel Miller is responsible for nearly all of National Right to Life News' political writing.
With the election of Donald Trump to the U.S. presidency, Daniel Miller developed a deep obsession with U.S. politics that has never let go of the political scientist. Whether it's the election of Joe Biden, the midterm elections in Congress, the abortion rights debate in the Supreme Court or the mudslinging in the primaries - Daniel Miller is happy to stay up late for you.
Daniel was born and raised in New York. After living in China, working for a news agency and another stint at a major news network, he now lives in Arizona with his two daughters.
