Missouri lawmakers promote preventing unwanted pregnancy

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Several Democratic and Republican lawmakers on Tuesday outlined legislation intended to prevent unwanted pregnancies by encouraging greater access to emergency contraceptives and family planning services.

The proposals would require pharmacies to issue emergency birth control prescriptions such as Plan B, known as the "morning after pill."

The pair of companion bills in the House and Senate also calls for emergency room workers to inform rape victims about access to such contraceptives, and supply them if requested. Health-care facilities could face fines for violating the provision.

"We all want to attack this problem," said Sen. Joan Bray, D-St. Louis County, the bill's sponsor.

"We don't want unwanted pregnancies."

Joining Bray at a news conference announcing the legislation were state Rep. Robin Wright Jones, D-St. Louis, the bill's House sponsor; Rep. Sherman Parker, R-St. Charles; and Rep. Otto Bean, R-Holcomb.

Gov. Matt Blunt and other anti-abortion lawmakers are backing proposals that would allow pharmacists to refuse to fill prescriptions for emergency contraceptives, prohibit abortion providers from offering sex education courses to schools and create tax breaks for donations to crisis pregnancy centers that encourage births.

Bray, Bean and Jones all voted against a bill passed last year that imposed new requirements on abortion providers and allows parents to sue people who help their minor daughters avoid Missouri's parental consent law when getting abortions. Parker did not vote on the bill, which was passed overwhelmingly in a September special session.

Bean described himself as "pro-life" Tuesday, suggesting that the proposal they outlined could appeal to people on both sides of the abortion debate.

"Whether you are pro-life or pro-choice, you have to agree we all come out ahead if we can prevent teen pregnancies before they happen," he said in a written statement.

The two bills, dubbed the Missouri Prevention First Act, also would also place in state law a family planning and women's health program eliminated from the budget in recent years.