Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Contact: Jessica Robinson, 573-751-0290
Blunt Praises Missouri House for Work to Protect Innocent Human Life
JEFFERSON CITY– Following the call in his State of the State address, Gov. Matt Blunt today praised the Missouri House of Representatives for taking action to make Missouri a leader in protecting innocent human life by giving first round approval to House Bill 1055.
"This legislation furthers my commitment to create a culture in Missouri that values all human life," Blunt said. "By passing this legislation the House has shown their commitment to reducing the number of abortions in our state. It is my hope that the Senate will act quickly to pass similar legislation so I can again sign strong pro-life legislation that respects the sanctity of all human life. I commend Representative Sander and the other leaders in the House who worked hard to pass this important legislation to protect human life."
House Bill 1055, sponsored by Rep. Therese Sander, establishes the Missouri Alternatives to Abortion Services Program and the Missouri Alternatives to Abortion Public Awareness Program to provide services and counseling to pregnant women and assistance to women caring for their children or placing them up for adoption.
The bill prohibits abortion providers including Planned Parenthood from supplying Missouri's public school students with information about sexual health and from presenting sex education programs to Missouri children. It ensures that students learn information about sex education from their teachers, parents and physicians, and not organizations that support or could profit from abortions.
The legislation also amends the definition of ambulatory surgical centers to include any entities operated for the purpose of performing or inducing any second or third trimester abortions, or at least five or more first trimester abortions per month.
In an effort to expand the Show Me Healthy Women program, a program that provides thousands of women with free breast and cervical cancer screenings, Blunt ended state contracts with Planned Parenthood in Springfield and Joplin, while providing $500,000 in additional funding for organizations that do not perform or facilitate abortions. Last year the governor signed legislation authorizing an income tax credit for 50 percent of contributions to qualified pregnancy resource centers who provide assistance, support and an opportunity to choose life for women who are facing an unplanned pregnancy.
During his first year in office, Blunt worked to reverse the pro-abortion policies of the past by signing strong pro-life legislation that strengthened Missouri's parental consent law so that parents may be involved in and aware of their children's decisions regarding abortion; enacted important safety standards by requiring physicians who perform abortions to have hospital privileges within 30 miles of the clinic where they perform the procedure; and ensured "next friends," those who have the authority to provide consent for abortions for minors, cannot be another minor or someone who would financially benefit from the abortion.
The legislation must be read a third time and passed in the House before being sent to the Missouri Senate. The Senate is considering similar legislation in Senate Bill 370.