‘Protect Women’s Rights’ lobby day held in Jeff. City

A number of groups, including Planned Parenthood, sponsored the event.

By Roseann Moring

Published March 7, 2008

A group of people united by their commitment to abortion rights and prevention education met Tuesday in Jefferson City to lobby legislators about four bills in the Missouri General Assembly. Called “Lobby Day to Protect Women’s Rights 2008” and sponsored by a number of Missouri organizations, the group asked legislators to either support or reject several pieces of legislation that pertain to sexual health. Many of the attendees and speakers said their number one priority is prevention. “We like to look at the positive side — to avoid unintended pregnancies,” said Ellen Baker, Planned Parenthood Education and Outreach coordinator. M’Evie Mead, statewide director of organizing for Planned Parenthood, said 98 percent of the services Planned Parenthood offers are devoted to prevention. “We can put prevention first by not supporting restriction,” she said. NARAL Pro-Choice Missouri Executive Director Pamela Sumners said seven of 34 Missouri senators and 39 of 163 state representatives vote in favor of abortion rights 100 percent of the time. “It’s a little bleak in the interim, but we do have our champions,” she said. One of those “champions” is Sen. Jolie Justus, D-Kansas City, who also spoke. “What you’re doing today is the most important thing you could do,” she told the lobbyists. “Let them know that women’s health is the number one issue in the state of Missouri.” Justus said comprehensive sexual education is important, and called most of what is taught now “misinformation.” After opening speeches, the attendees broke into groups to talk to individual legislators about the bills. Planned Parenthood affiliates in Missouri, NARAL and Missouri Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice were the three main sponsors of the event, along with 34 co-sponsors. Planned Parent volunteer and Columbia resident Kirstin Steitz said she came because she thinks prevention is important. “It’s being eroded by the legislature,” she said.

Pros and cons

Organizers divided bills into “good bills” and “bad bills” to talk to legislators. One “bad” bill, the Abortion Restriction Bill of 2008, would make it a crime for a woman’s partner to coerce her to get an abortion. It defines “coercion” to include actions such as filing for divorce or changing the woman’s housing status. “It’s not about strong-arming someone,” Baker said. “It’s about a discussion you have with someone.” The bill would also set requirements physicians would have to fulfill 24 hours before an abortion, including giving the woman the opportunity to see an ultrasound of the fetus and hear the heartbeat, providing women information about the possibility of causing pain to the fetus and about the Alternatives to Abortion Program. “They want signs that say, ‘If you’re reconsidering this, we’re not only right across the street to help you, but we’ll pay for everything,’” Baker said. “Missouri will subsidize up to 18 months — they want signs that say up to 18 years. So it’s a lie.” The event fact sheet states that Planned Parenthood already offers women the opportunity for an ultrasound before she gets an abortion. It also states the bill would violate the First Amendment right of free speech by not allowing a woman’s partner to tell her he would want her to have an abortion. The Prevention First Act has several clauses relating to sexual health. It would mandate that sexual education be “factually accurate,” and ensure that victims of sexual assault are provided with education about and access to emergency contraception. It also prevents government intrusion into the use and access of birth control, requires pharmacies to fill prescriptions for birth control and provides funding for a Women’s Health Services program, which would be implemented to reduce the number of unintended pregnancies in Missouri.

Local legislators weigh in

Rep. Ed Robb, R-Columbia, said he would support comprehensive sexual education. “I like to talk about abstinence,” he said. “I also know how teenagers are.” He said the morality of sexual education should be addressed at home and in the church, not in the law. “We can’t go back to the ‘60’s, when abortion was illegal,” he said. “That was awful.” He said he would not back a law that would force pharmacists to fill prescriptions for birth control and emergency contraception. “I don’t like that,” he said. “I don’t think I can support that. I like to let people make their own decisions.” Ted Farnen, chief of staff for Sen. Chuck Graham, D-Columbia, said Graham has consistently supported abortion rights. The lobbyists recognized Graham’s efforts for abortion rights. “We just wanted to thank you for that,” lobbyist Bonnie Trickey said. Farnen also said Graham actively campaigns to other senators for pro-abortion rights bills.

Missouri Right to Life

Missouri Right to Life is planning a lobby day on Tuesday to lobby against the same bills as the pro-abortion rights groups lobbied for. “Legislation saves lives just as surely, if not as dramatically, as direct rescues,” the MRL Web site states. According to the Web site, MRL priorities are as follows: mandatory ultrasounds before abortions, informing a mother that a baby feels pain during an abortion, protecting women from coerced abortions, preventing the creation of animal/human hybrid beings and promoting a complete ban on all human cloning in Missouri.

— Reporter Brenden Neville contributed to this report.