At session's end, business lobby happy and pro-life lobby angry

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The Missouri Republican Party owes its dominance of state government in large part to the efforts of two primary bases of support -- the pro-business lobby and social conservatives.

With Friday's conclusion of the 2005 legislative session, one wing of the party walked away happy, the other fighting mad.

For business groups, it was a banner year. Led by the wide Republican majorities of 98-65 in the House of Representatives and 23-11 in the Senate, lawmakers passed a variety of bills to reduce government regulation of business and provide tax breaks for economic stimulus, in addition to enacting long-sought changes to Missouri's civil litigation and workers' compensation systems.

"Lawmakers have sent the message to employers in our state and beyond that Missouri is serious about providing a climate that will enable employers to grow and create more jobs," said Dan Mehan, Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry president.

Social conservatives, particularly those opposed to abortion rights, expected similar results. As lawmakers dutifully plowed through the business agenda, however, pro-life legislation languished.

Missouri Right to Life president Pam Fichter told The Associated Press on Friday that Republicans could pay the price in the next election cycle.

"We're very, very disappointed," Fichter said. "It's a betrayal to all of the pro-life people who worked so hard to get all of these people into their positions."

Fichter was particularly upset with Republican Gov. Matt Blunt.

"If things don't change, I don't see how we could possibly support him," she said.

The pro-life lobby was pushing two major bills -- one to ban human cloning and another imposing broad abortion restrictions.

The latter allowed parents of an underage girl to sue anyone who assisted her in circumventing Missouri's parental consent law by obtaining an abortion in another state, such as Illinois, that has no such requirement.

Another provision required abortion doctors to have admitting privileges at a nearby hospital. State Sen. Charles Wheeler, a Kansas City Democrat and physician, said having hospital privileges is a major commitment and that the provision was a back-door effort to force abortion providers out of business.

The measure cleared the Senate in April but then sat in a House committee for more than two weeks. Much to the shock of pro-life advocates, the committee significantly scaled back the measure before eventually approving it on Monday. The full House passed it on the penultimate day of the session, but it had to go back to the Senate, where a Democratic filibuster killed it. A similar House version of the bill also stalled.

'Profoundly disapppointed'

In the face of harsh criticism from the pro-life movement, Blunt blamed Missouri Right to Life for the failure.

"I am profoundly disappointed in the leaders of Missouri Right to Life for their efforts to defeat two good pro-life bills that would have become the law and protected the lives of unborn children but for the group's tragic and bizarre tactic of working against pro-life legislation," Blunt said.

Immediately after the legislature adjourned Friday, Blunt announced his intention to call a special session on the issue in September. Top Missouri Right to Life officials were meeting Saturday and couldn't be reached for comment.

A serious rift between the pro-business and pro-life elements of the Republican party earlier emerged over cloning.

Although the legislature is overwhelming pro-life, Senate President Pro Tem Michael Gibbons, R-Kirkwood, said some anti-abortion rights lobbyists tried to highjack the process from elected lawmakers.

"Unfortunately, people outside in the halls thought they had control of the process but found out independent thought and legislative will still exist in the Missouri General Assembly," he said.

Despite the threats of political retribution, Gibbons said legislature will dictate the terms when the issue is again taken up in September.

"It's clear that we're going to drive the bus," Gibbons said. "Anyone that wants to get on and join in helping us, we're happy to have them."

mpowers@semissourian.com

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