Missouri Right to Life Applauds Legislature for Passage of Multiple Pro-Life Bills

Missouri Right to Life
Press Release
 
For Immediate Release                                                                                  For Information
May 17, 2013                                                                                                 573-635-5110
314-966-3889

Missouri Right to Life applauds the Missouri Legislature for passing several pieces of legislation protecting innocent human life. They include:
HB 400, a ban on web-cam abortions;

SB 126, giving protection to pharmacy owners not to be forced to stock any drug or device, including abortion drugs;

SB 20, restoration of tax credits for people donating to agencies offering alternatives to abortion;

SB 256, extending the safe place for newborn drop-off from 5 days to 45 days and expanding the list of places for drop-off to include maternity homes and pregnancy resource centers;

SS HB 184, pro-life protective language on “Missouri Works” economic development program, which passed today with a vote of 98 to 59;

Renewal of funding for alternatives to abortion agencies in HB 5, Office of Administration budget;

Pro-life protective language on HB 7, which funds the Dept. of Economic Development ensuring that the Missouri Technology Corporation will not be able to use these public funds on human cloning and research that destroys human life.
The following can be attributed to Pam Fichter, President of Missouri Right to Life:

The Missouri legislature has recognized the will of the people of Missouri to protect innocent human life. The different bills will protect women from unsafe web-cam abortions and will help ensure that women are not forced into an abortion decision because the help and support she needed to choose life for her child was not available. They will protect the conscience rights of pharmacy owners. Pro-life language on economic development programs will ensure that financial gain will not come through the creation and/or destruction of human beings in the first stages of development.

We thank Speaker Tim Jones and Senate President Pro Tem Tom Dempsey and other leaders in the House and Senate along with the individual sponsors of these bills. They include Rep. Jeanie Riddle and Sen. Wayne Wallingford (HB 400), Sen. David Sater (SB 126), Sens. Bob Dixon and Ron Richard (SB 20), Sen. Ryan Silvey (SB 256), Rep. Stanley Cox (HB 184) and Rep. Rick Stream and Sen. Kurt Schaefer (HB 5 and 7).

MO Senate Passes Ban on Web-cam Abortions; MRL Calls on House to Finally Pass and Send HB 400 to Gov.

Missouri Right to Life

Press Release

For Immediate Release

May 7, 2013

For Information

573-635-5110

314-966-3889

Missouri Senate Passes Ban on Web-cam Abortions;

MRL Calls on House to Finally Pass and Send HB 400 to the Governor

Missouri Right to Life applauds those in the Missouri legislature who voted for HB 400. The original bill passed the House with a bipartisan veto-proof majority of 115 to 39. The amended bill passed the Senate with a veto-proof majority of 23 to 7. Amendments to the bill require that the House vote to confirm the Senate amendments. The bill will then move to the Governor’s desk.

“This legislation bans web-cam abortions in Missouri and ensures that women will meet with a doctor in person at the time she begins the RU 486 abortion. This legislation protects women from those in the abortion industry who seek to profit from RU 486 abortions by providing sub-standard care to women,” said Pam Fichter, president of Missouri Right to Life.

“RU 486, the two-drug regimen, can cause severe bleeding and cramping. It can fail to abort the baby and can cause birth defects. Often these women deliver a dead baby by themselves. The drug can cause toxic shock and death. The FDA requires the notice of the possibility of death on the label of Mifeprex, the first pill taken,” stated Fichter.

“When web-cam abortions began in Iowa, the number of abortion clinics increased from 5 to 17, continued Fichter. We do not want this happening in Missouri. We urge the House to finally pass HB 400. We call upon Governor Nixon to sign this life-saving legislation.”

We thank the sponsors of this bill, Representative Jeanie Riddle and Senator Wayne Wallingford, the House and Senate leadership and all those that voted for this important legislation.

Rights of Religious Conscience Bill Passes House

Missouri Right to Life

Press Release

For Immediate Release
March 12, 2013
For Information
573-635-5110

Missouri House Passes HCS HB 457 – Addressing the Rights of Religious Conscience

Today the Missouri House third read and passed HCS HB 457, which contains broad conscience clause protections that specify that anyone providing or participating in a medical procedure or research cannot be required to participate or provide services that violates his or her religious, moral, or ethical principles that are adherent to a sincere and meaningful belief in God or in relation to a supreme being.

“Because of the attack on our religious institutions and business leaders who because of their faith choose not to participate in destroying innocent human life this is a real and pressing issue for our pro-life medical professionals,” said Pam Fichter, President of Missouri Right to Life.

Those in the medical and research fields that labor every day to save lives should not be forced to take lives against their religious and moral beliefs. This bill would protect them from negative repercussions by their employers.”

“Missouri Right to Life thanks the members of all the Missouri House who supported this

important legislation,” said Fichter.

HCS HB 457 passed the House by a veto proof bi-partisan vote of 116 to 41. HCS HB 457 now moves to the Senate for consideration.

Governor Nixon Vetoes SB 749

The following statement can be attributed to Pam Fichter, President of Missouri Right to Life.

During the 2012 Legislative Session, the Missouri Senate and House passed SB 749 in response to the HHS mandate from Kathleen Sebelius and the Obama Administration forcing religious institutions to pay for abortions. SB 749 would have sent a clear message that pro-life Missourians oppose participating in the taking of innocent human lives against our religious beliefs. SB 749 also would have placed in statute the ability for people of faith to bring a lawsuit if they are forced to pay for morally objectionable procedures. Governor Nixon joins the Obama Administration in attacking our religious liberty by supporting the HHS mandate forcing all Missourians to pay for insurance that includes abortion coverage even if doing so is a violation of our religious beliefs.

SB 749 passed the Missouri House and Senate with strong bi-partisan support. Missouri Right to Life urges the legislature to override this veto in September. A veto override of SB 749 will show pro-life Missourians who will stand for our religious liberties.

We are sincerely disappointed that Governor Nixon has chosen to give away our religious liberties to Washington politicians.

Supreme Court Upholds Obamacare

Missouri Right to Life
Press Release

For Immediate Release:
June 28, 2012

For Information:
573-635-5110 314-662-3518

U.S. Supreme Court Upholds Obama Health Care Law

The following statement can be attributed to Pam Fichter, MRL President:

The message of the disappointing Supreme Court decision today is that elections matter.  We must work to replace this pro-abortion president and Senate with a pro-life president and pro-life leadership in the Senate.  Make your voice heard in November!

While the challenges to the law were not based on the life issue, this 5 to 4 decision is a devastating setback for all who believe in the sanctity of life and in the freedoms upon which this country was founded.

The Obama Health Care Law contains multiple provisions that provide authorizations for subsidies for abortion, both implicit and explicit, and also multiple provisions which may be used as bases for abortion-expanding administrative actions.  This is a sharp departure from decades of previous federal policy under the Hyde Amendment, the Federal Employees Health Benefits program, and other federal programs.

In addition, doctors, hospitals, and other health care providers will be told by Washington just what diagnostic tests and medical care are considered to meet “quality and efficiency” standards.

These standards are specifically designed to limit the funds that Americans may choose to spend on health care so that they cannot keep up with the rate of medical inflation.  Treatment that a doctor and patient deem needed or advisable to save the patient’s life or preserve or improve the patient’s health but which runs afoul of the imposed standards will be denied, even if the patient is willing and able to pay for it.In effect, there will be one uniform, national standard of care, established by Washington bureaucrats, that is designed to limit what private citizens are allowed to spend to save their own lives.

This decision makes it absolutely imperative that this law be repealed by the next congress and president.  Missouri Right to Life Political Action Committee will work diligently to make sure we have a strongly pro-life congress and president committed to repealing this life-destroying legislation.

Please click here for reaction from National Right to Life.

Call Governor Nixon and Ask Him to Sign SB 749

SB 749 sends a strong message to Washington that Missouri will not tolerate the attack against our religious liberty contained in the HHS mandate. It also gives Missouri individuals, businesses and institutions standing in the courts to file suit if they oppose enforcement of this mandate and requires businesses to notify participants if any plan covers abortion. Call Governor Nixon at (573) 751-3222 or visit http://governor.mo.gov/contact/ and ask him to sign SB 749.

2012 Legislative Session Recap

The 2012 Missouri State Legislative Session is now in the history books!

Soon after the session began, HHS Director Kathleen Sebelius issued a mandate that all religious institutions would be required to cover abortion services, contraception and sterilization procedures beginning August 1. The issuance of this mandate by the Obama administration caused pro-life legislators to file a variety of legislation to protect Missouri citizens from this unconstitutional, immoral infringement of our religious liberties.

During the final hours of the session, the Missouri Legislature passed SB 749. While this legislation will not overturn the HHS mandate, it sends a strong message to Washington that Missouri will not tolerate this attack against our religious liberty. It also gives Missouri individuals, businesses and institutions standing in the courts to file suit if they oppose enforcement of this mandate and requires businesses to notify participants if any plan covers abortion.

SB 749 passed both chambers by a vote of twenty-eight out of 34 senators and 105 out of 163 state representatives.

The House version of the bill contained additional provisions strengthening conscience protections for pharmacists, medical professionals and researchers. However, this good language was opposed by Senate leadership and was cut out of the bill in conference committee.

Senate Republican leadership made a deal with pro-abortion Democrats that no other pro-life legislation would be passed if SB 749 was allowed to move forward killing many good pro-life bills. Trying to overcome and bypass this deal made in the Senate, pro-life amendments were placed on numerous bills in the last days and hours of this session.

Legislative victories in addition to SB749 include:

• Continued funding of the Alternatives to Abortion program with $1.6 million dollars which includes funding for advertising this important program so that women in crisis pregnancies know that there is help for them to choose life for their babies.

• Requiring the Missouri Technology Corporation to continue to abide by the pro-life protections of 196.1127 language that says that you cannot grant state monies to any business that intends to or will do human cloning, embryonic stem cell research or abortion services.

Many opportunities to save lives through legislation were left lying on the legislative calendar. Among others these include:

• Solid conscience protections for medical professionals and researchers,
• Ban on Tele-Med/Video Conferencing Abortions
• Multiple Versions of State’s Rights Bills Challenging the Constitutionality of Obamacare
• Tracking of Federal Grant Monies in order to be diverted from abortion providers to alternative to abortion agencies
• Protections for pharmacies not to be forced to carry abortion drugs,
• Further extension of PRC tax credits,
• Protection for Pregnancy Resource Center’s agencies and personnel from harassing regulations by local governments because of moral differences.

We thank all legislators who worked so diligently to pass lifesaving legislation during this session.

Missouri House Passes Pro-Life Bill Protecting Women Seeking Abortion

The following statement may be attributed to Pam Fichter, President of Missouri Right to Life:

We applaud the Missouri House of Representatives for passing HB 1274.  This bill offers protection for women seeking abortion by ensuring that complete information about the dangers of RU 486 and similar drugs are given to them and by requiring that they receive a complete physical 24 hours prior to being given the abortion drug.  This protective action will help ensure that the woman does not have a medical condition that will be exacerbated by the use of the RU 486 drug and create a life-threatening situation for her.
The bill would also ban so-called tele-med/video conference abortions in which the contact between the clinic and the woman takes place by tele-conference and the drug is administered locally to the woman without a proper physical examination.

This protective and common sense measure is for the protection of women seeking abortion. Why would anyone be opposed to women being fully informed about what RU 486 does to her body? Why would anyone be opposed to a woman being guaranteed a needed physical exam before an abortion?

Also receiving final approval in the House today was HB 1534, a bill that declares that the Missouri General Assembly finds that the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) exceeds the powers granted to Congress and makes it a misdemeanor for any officer of the state to enact Obamacare. Missouri Right to Life supported HB 1534 because we oppose the federal funding for abortion and rationing of healthcare contained in the PPACA.

MRL Applauds Missouri House and Senate

Missouri Right to Life

Press Release

For Immediate Release:

March 29, 2012

For Information:

573-635-5110

MISSOURI HOUSE AND SENATE PASS SEPARATE PRO-LIFE BILLS ADDRESSING THE RIGHTS OF RELIGIOUS CONSCIENCE AND CONTINUATION OF PREGNANCY RESOURCE CENTER TAX CREDITS  

 

The Missouri House and Senate today rewarded the efforts of over 3,000 people who attended the Rally for Religious Liberty this past Tuesday by passing separate legislation protecting religious freedom and rights of conscience and extending tax credits for Pregnancy Resource Centers.

The Senate passed SB 749 which provides protections against the HHS mandate that all businesses, including religious institutions and those affiliated with such institutions, provide coverage for services that are counter to the moral teachings of that religion.  By ensuring that no employer, health plan provider, health plan sponsor, health care provider, or any other person or entity shall be compelled to provide coverage for, or be discriminated against or penalized for declining or refusing coverage for, abortion, contraception, or sterilization in a health plan if such items or procedures are contrary to the religious beliefs or moral convictions of such employer, health plan provider, health plan sponsor, health care provider, person, or entity, SB 749 specifically addresses the mandate from the Obama Administration and sends a strong message to Washington.

Also today, the House gave final approval to HCS HB 1541, a broader conscience clause bill that specifies that anyone providing or participating in a medical procedure or research cannot be required to participate or provide services that violates his or her religious, moral, or ethical principles that are adherent to a sincere and meaningful belief in God or in relation to a supreme being.

“The mandate for religious institutions to participate in destroying innocent human life goes against the core religious beliefs of many faiths.  This attack on our religious freedom is in stark opposition to our first amendment right to practice our religion.  Make no mistake, the attack by the Obama Administration has nothing to do with women accessing contraception,” said Pam Fichter, President of Missouri Right to Life, “but is an attack on the religious freedom guaranteed by our Constitution.”

“Missouri Right to Life thanks all the religious leaders and pro-life citizens who united in this cause at the Capitol this past Tuesday and congratulates the members of the Missouri House and Senate who supported this important legislation,” said Fichter.

Video: Archbishop Robert Carlson Addresses Enthusiastic Crowd Rallying for Religious Liberty at MO Capitol

We are slowly uploading video on to our YouTube channel of the speakers from yesterday’s Rally for Religious Liberty. First up is the address from St. Louis Archbishop Robert Carlson:

Hi res video of Bishop Carlson’s speech can be found at the MRL website. Read text of the Bishop’s official statement here.