Abortion debate poised for revival

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The last two major restrictions on abortion to clear the Missouri Legislature required overrides of gubernatorial vetoes to enact. If lawmakers seek further limitations this year, they will have the full backing of Gov. Matt Blunt's administration.

When Blunt stated his belief "in the sanctity of life and protecting unborn children" during his State of the State address last month, his fellow Republicans who control the legislature, joined by some Democrats, responded with a standing ovation. After being largely dormant in Missouri over the last several years, the abortion debate seems poised for a revival.

"This is an issue that crosses party lines, and the governor would sign any legislation that protects the unborn," said Blunt spokesman Paul Sloca.

Missouri Catholic Conference executive director Larry Weber said pro-life supporters are pleased to have an administration friendly to their cause after 12 years of Democratic governors on the other side of the issue.

"We look forward to working with Governor Blunt to ensure the protection of human life in the mother's womb," Weber said. "It's been a long time since we heard talk like that from a governor of Missouri."

Although the issue has been out of the headlines recently, Paula Gianino, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of St. Louis, said the same groups that oppose the pro-choice stance have worked quietly behind the scenes to reduce access to non-abortion-related family planning services for low-income women.

Two years ago, the legislature eliminated the state's family planning program that provided 30,000 women with access to birth control and regular health screenings. Gianino said the state also sliced in half the amount of time a new mother is eligible for Medicaid benefits from 24 months after giving birth to 12 months.

"The last two years have been devastating to women in Missouri who are poor and uninsured," Gianino said.

Parental consent law

In his speech, Blunt specifically urged the lawmakers to pass legislation aimed at deterring minors from circumventing Missouri's parental consent law. That has happened by teens seeking abortions in states that have no such requirement, like Illinois.

House Speaker Rod Jetton, R-Marble Hill, said the chamber will make that bill, which has languished in the legislature for several years, a priority.

"I think it's wrong to take a minor, without her parents' consent, across state lines to make a decision that could have an effect on the rest of her life and, obviously, the life of the child," Jetton said.

One version of the bill, sponsored by state Sen. John Louden, R-Ballwin, would allow parents to sue any adult who assists a minor in obtaining an out-of-state abortion without parental consent. Courts would be allowed to assess financial damages and attorney's fees against defendants.

Gianino said Planned Parenthood agrees that it is best for pregnant teens considering an abortion to involve their parents and said an overwhelming percentage do. For those who are victims of physical or sexual abuse, however, that isn't always possible.

"Teens who do not involve a parent oftentimes do not for good reason because they in homes where they are in danger," Gianino said.

Louden's bill is so broadly written, Gianino said, that it would punish not just those who transport a teen across state lines but anyone who advised a teen about the availability of out-of-state abortion services.

"What is sinister about this bill is it is an attempt to control the speech of health-care professionals, clergy, mental-health professionals and even family members," Gianino said. "That is the wrong thing to do when a teen is in trouble."

Matters of conscience

Blunt also called for improved conscience protections for medical professionals. Jetton said that could include allowing pharmacists to refuse to dispense so-called "morning after" pills. Although Jetton supports the concept, he also said pro-business Republicans are leery of creating conflicts between pharmacy owners and employees who may have differing ethical views on the subject.

"That's a bill we're happy to move forward and discuss to see if we can find a way to work that out on the business side as well as on the moral side," Jetton said.

Gianino is concerned the proposal would allow pharmacists to refuse to fill prescriptions for birth control pills.

"For every woman in this state that is an unthinkable proposition, especially for women in rural Missouri who may have only one pharmacist in their entire county," Gianino said.

The legislature, which even when Democrats were in control, has long had a solid pro-life majority. Lawmakers last seriously tackled the abortion issue in 2003 when over former governor Bob Holden's veto they enacted a mandatory 24-hour waiting period for women seeking the procedure. The only other restriction in recent years resulted from a 1999 override of late governor Mel Carnahan's veto of a bill banning a certain type of late-term abortion.

mpowers@semissourian.com

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