On Monday, the Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence Committee considered two bills I filed this session. Senate Bill 50 provides protections for Alternatives to Abortion Agencies to freely engage in religious practices; Senate Bill 175 requires the physician who prescribes an abortion-inducing drug to be physically present when the drug is administered.

In recent years, various states have created ordinances requiring pregnancy resource centers to post signs stating they don’t offer abortion services, a gross overreach of governmental authority and an affront to first amendment rights. Those laws were eventually overturned by the courts. Judges viewed the requirements as a serious infringement on the constitutional rights of these organizations. However, despite these rulings, some states are moving to follow suit.

Senate Bill 50 is a preemptive measure that would prevent this issue from arising here in Missouri. The bill reaffirms the first amendment rights of alternatives to abortion agencies to engage in religious practices and free speech without governmental interference. It will also protect pregnancy resource centers from expending valuable resources to fight unconstitutional mandates in court.

We also considered Senate Bill 175 in the committee hearing. The bill requires doctors to be physically present when administering abortion-inducing drugs. This legislation is woefully misunderstood. It in no way prohibits any procedures allowed under current law.

The legislation is ultimately about patient safety. Mifepristone, commonly referred to as RU-486, is an abortion inducing drug used in clinics throughout the country. It is a regulated medication that can pose serious side effects, including excessive bleeding. Despite this, though, many states have seen an increase in what are called webcam abortion clinics, a disturbing new trend in which doctors can perform abortions without even being in the same city, let alone the same room, as the patient.

Senate Bill 175 will require doctors to be physically in the room when an abortion inducing drug is administered in case the patient has any medical issues. We should be concerned about the lives of these women, and this bill will ensure that if abortions are performed in this state, that they at least be done under the safest conditions possible.

The bill will also require physicians to encourage patients to return for a follow-up visit 12 to 18 days after the abortion. This is simply to make sure that the patient is still safe and the desired results were achieved.

To be clear, I’m pro-life. I oppose all forms of abortion, and believe that life begins at conception. However, these bills are in no way an attack on abortion, which is currently legal under law. The measures simply affirm that in this state, an organization, regardless of religious or ideological beliefs, has a right to free speech and freedom of religion, and that if abortions are to be performed in Missouri, they will at least be done in a safe way.

Contact Me

I always appreciate hearing your comments, opinions, and concerns. Please feel free to contact me in Jefferson City at (573) 751-2459. You may write me at Wayne Wallingford; Missouri Senate; State Capitol; Jefferson City, Mo. 65101, or email at wayne.wallingford@senate.mo.gov or www.senate.mo.gov/wallingford.

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