Conservatives seek progress with GOP-led legislature, governor

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Social conservative groups hope proposals that have enjoyed little success for years can now move forward, thanks to the election of a Republican governor in Missouri to complement the Republican-controlled state legislature.

Campaign Life Missouri and the Missouri Catholic Conference say progress could be made on anti-abortion legislation, such as civil liability for those who help minors cross state lines to have an abortion.

Other priorities include supporting funding for alternatives to abortion programs, which provide pregnant women with support services, including counseling and help with health care, housing and transportation, and a tax credit for those who contribute to such programs, said Samuel Lee, director of Campaign Life Missouri.

Both groups also hope to make progress on banning cloning and limiting stem-cell research, but acknowledge those fights may be tougher, especially as some in the business community have expressed support for stem-cell research as important to the state's economy.

For example, the Kansas City-based Stowers Institute of Medical Research has said it will not build its second center in Missouri if the state outlaws stem-cell research.

Embryonic stem cells are master cells that form in the days after fertilization and can become into any tissue of the body. Religious groups oppose the scientific work in which the culling of stem cells kills the embryos, a procedure they equate with abortion.

"We're going to have a lot of education to do with these legislators. This is really the pro-life battle of the day," said Larry Weber, executive director of the Missouri Catholic Conference.

Sen. Matt Bartle, R-Lee's Summit, has introduced legislation the past three years that would make the procedure for creating embryonic stem cells a felony. He has said he will try again during the next session, though he also said it would be a tough fight.

"I think it's going to be extremely difficult to get a cloning ban through the Legislature that would include all types of cloning," Bartle said. "There's not enough understanding on the issue yet."

During the campaign, Republican Matt Blunt said he opposes stem-cell research that uses fertilized eggs, but supports somatic cell nuclear transfer research, also known as therapeutic cloning.

"Even our new governor's going to have some problems with what we want to do," Lee said Monday.

Weber said while his group will be more aligned with Blunt than current Democratic Gov. Bob Holden on issues such as restricting abortion, it may be at odds with Blunt on other areas. For example, Weber said the Catholic Conference also supports ensuring Medicaid is adequately funded so poor people have access to health care.

This year, Republicans in the Legislature tried, but largely failed, to change criteria and limit how many people qualify for Medicaid, saying it was necessary to keep a handle on the program's costs.

"To some extent the new administration is more sympathetic to some of these issues, and to some extent they may not be as sympathetic," he said.