The Following Statement is from Steve Rupp, MRL President:

In the early morning minutes of June 15th, the Missouri Senate convened to pass a pro-life legislation package that expands some areas of pro-life laws. While the bill does not go as far as the Republican controlled super majority could have taken it, the bill does advance regulation on abortion in multiple statutes as well as protecting our Pregnancy Resource Centers and faith communities in St. Louis and across the State of Missouri from being forced to participate in abortion.

Other areas of major concern to women's health were discussed but scaled back or not covered in this bill. A few concerns are: being able to match complete tissue samples from abortions to be able to diagnose dangerous medical conditions or to find out if all baby body parts have been removed and accounted for. This language would have ensured that marketing of baby body parts from abortion is not being done in Missouri. Information on this critical issue was brought out in the investigations of Planned Parenthood by the House and Senate Sanctity of Life Committees.

Another area of concern in the Senate bill relates to whistleblower protection. Frequently, employees of abortion facilities and research labs witness unsafe and/or unethical practices. If they choose to report this information to the proper authorities, they must be protected from retribution by the abortionist or facility owner. While the Senate version protects the abortionist performing or inducing the abortion and the research companies, the employees of abortion facilities or research labs are not protected in this bill.

We encourage the Missouri House to be strong in their pro-life convictions as they review Senate Bill 5 and address these and other areas of concern!

Missouri Right to Life is the leading pro-life advocacy organization statewide, representing hundreds of thousands of pro-life Missourians. Solid legislation ensuring the right to life is crucial and we look to the Republican controlled super-majorities in the House and Senate to work to save these little innocent human lives and protect women.

Many thanks to the hundreds of pro-lifers who gathered Wednesday at the State Capitol to support passage of pro-life legislation during this special session!

Gov. Eric Greitens and MRL Legislative Liaison_ Susan Klein pray at the rally. _Image via Gov. Greitens on Facebook_

MRL President Steve Rupp speaks at the rally

Missouri Senate passes its version of abortion bill in special session

Link - The Missouri Senate passed an abortion bill late Wednesday night in a special legislative session called by Governor Eric Greitens. 

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A Year After Flood, Pregnancy Center to Serve Families in New Location  

Link - At the end of last summer, Lifeline Pregnancy Care Center of Cuba, Mo., was under water, demolished by a flash flood that lifted the building off its foundations and leaving executive director Lori Amato scrambling for solutions. Less than a year later, the center is moving into a new location, and Amato says she's feeling ready to walk on water herself.

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Gallup Poll: 54% of Americans Want All or Most Abortions Made Illegal

Link - Gallup is out with new National polling data on the issue of abortion and the results are generally unchanged from the findings of previous years.

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Doctor accused of using painkiller to quicken death of 8-year-old boy, police say

Link - Police are investigating a claim by a Los Angeles County coroner's investigator that an anesthesiologist used a painkiller to hasten the death of a gravely injured boy to increase the likelihood his organs could be harvested without deterioration, a newspaper reported Monday.

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The first year of California's assisted suicide: over 500 prescriptions

Link - Over 500 people have been prescribed life-ending drugs since physician assisted suicide was legalised in California in June last year, according to statistics released by Compassion and Choices.

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