Republicans celebrated a victory, while Democrats anticipated a potential voter backlash against the legislators in November.
The Senate has passed House Bill 2634 in a party line vote of 23-10 after an 11-hour filibuster by Democrats. This bill aims to limit public funds from going to agencies that are associated with abortion providers. A Senate amendment has been included in the bill, which means that the House will need to vote on it again. The bill had previously passed in the House with a vote of 104-48 on March 4.
According to Senator Tracy McCreery, a Democrat from St. Louis, all they needed was the support of eight individuals who recognized the benefits of birth control in preventing unintended pregnancies and reducing the need for abortions. However, they were unable to find eight Republicans who shared this viewpoint. As a result, Senator McCreery emphasized the importance of the upcoming November elections, urging over a million Missourians to cast their votes and make it clear to the Missouri legislature that their stance on this issue is misguided.
Sen. Bill Eigel, a Republican from Weldon Spring, expressed his delight and spoke on behalf of the Freedom Caucus and his fellow Republicans during the press conference held at the end of the week. He described the vote as the most significant triumph of the week.
“We have witnessed a recurring pattern where women who undergo abortion procedures are more prone to experiencing mental health problems, increased rates of suicide, and various other issues that substantiate the harmful impact of abortion on women,” expressed Eigel, a candidate vying for the Republican nomination for governor. He further expressed his disappointment at the lack of a single Democrat willing to advocate for the welfare of women across the state and protect them from the detrimental effects of abortion.”
Although House Republicans did not hold an end-of-the-week press conference, Democrats emphasized that the bill could be the first one sent to Republican Gov. Mike Parson’s desk for approval.
“It’s absolutely astonishing to me that this could potentially be the inaugural bill to be passed,” remarked Minority Leader Crystal Quade, a Democratic candidate for governor from Springfield. “What’s truly intriguing is that the Republican majority has decided to pursue yet another assault on women’s reproductive healthcare, especially at a time when we are fully aware that citizens are determined to reclaim these fundamental rights.”
As signatures are currently being collected to place an initiative on an upcoming ballot to legalize abortion in Missouri, Eigel has emphasized that the legislature’s immediate focus is on reforming the process for passing ballot initiatives. In the past, Speaker Dean Plocher, R-St. Louis, and a candidate for his party’s nomination for secretary of state, accurately predicted that an initiative to legalize abortion would make it onto the ballot. He also attributed any potential approval by voters to the Senate’s failure to pass legislation aimed at changing the initiative petition process last year.
“We have made our stance clear in the Freedom Caucus: we are eager to see progress on both the Planned Parenthood bill and the initiative petition reform discussion,” Eigel expressed. “Although the House may be moving at a slower pace than we prefer, we remain hopeful that the initiative petition will soon be returned to the Senate, allowing us to make significant headway in the near future.”