JEFFERSON CITY — Those who know me know that the sanctity of life and protecting the unborn are extremely important to me and one of the main reasons I entered politics and serve in the Missouri Senate. I believe that life begins at conception and that is a principle I cannot compromise on. As such, pro-life policy has been a big part of my job in Jefferson City. Below, I will discuss some of my work in the past on this issue and then highlight the work we did this session to protect life.

Last year, I sponsored and passed legislation extending the abortion waiting period from 24 to 72 hours. This additional time gives a mother the opportunity to learn about adoption and other alternatives to abortion, consult with family and friends about this life-changing decision, and gives the mother the chance to view an ultrasound and hear the heartbeat of her child. I know most Missourians do not think three days is too long to consider whether or not to end a life and am convinced more lives will be saved because of this law. Passing this bill was hard work and hard fought, but its effects are already being felt here in Missouri and other states are following our lead. Oklahoma passed a 72-hour waiting period law earlier this year and North Carolina did so just last week. Tennessee just passed a 48-hour waiting period after not having one at all. While many advocates and pro-life champions worked to accomplish these goals in those states, Missouri deserves its share of the credit for leading the way.

The most recent legislative session may have lacked the front page headlines and drama of a veto override that occurred with the 72-hour waiting period bill but we had our share of success. One of the most important steps we took was approving funding for the Missouri Alternatives to Abortion Program. These funds support the work of Missouri’s maternity homes and pregnancy resource centers, which are great resources for expectant mothers. One of their primary goals is to help mothers bring their pregnancies to full term and they are very successful at doing so. The governor withheld funding for Alternatives to Abortion in last year’s budget and it is an ongoing battle year after year to get him to quit playing politics with this issue.

That leads to Senate Bill 24, a bill I sponsored to restructure and reform our welfare system in Missouri. Through this bill, we created a guaranteed funding stream for Alternatives to Abortion through the use of federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Family funds. On top of this, we also created a dedicated funding stream for healthy marriage and responsible fatherhood initiatives. This reflects our belief that promoting marriage and two-parent households are the most important factors in strengthening families and preventing abortions from occurring in the first place. The breakdown of the family and the lack of emphasis on faith and family are the main causes of many of the problems we have in society today and abortion is one of those problems.

While it can sometimes be difficult to see the real-life effects of work we do in the State Capitol, it is clear our pro-life efforts over the past few years are paying off. The 72-hour waiting period, our commitment to Alternatives to Abortion and other bills over the years have resulted in significant decreases in abortions and abortion rates in Missouri, no new abortion facilities (in fact, there is only one clinic in Missouri still performing abortions) and a dramatic increase in the number of maternity homes and pregnancy resource centers. Critics claim that our policies have just pushed women seeking abortions to other states, but abortion statistics just released by Kansas show that the number of Missouri women obtaining abortions in Kansas decreased by more than 6 percent last year, so these claims are exaggerated at best and untrue at worst.

Here are some more important pro-life facts that Missourians should be proud of. Missouri is No. 1 in the country with the fewest abortion clinics per female residents of reproductive age (15-44). Missouri is the largest of the top five states with the lowest abortion rates in the country, and once the funding Alternatives to Abortion in SB 24 gears up, Missouri will have one of the largest funding commitments of the states that fund abortion alternatives.

During my time in the Legislature, we have transformed Missouri from a state where partial-birth abortions were legal to one that is now considered one of the most pro-life in the country. Let me be clear, abortion should be illegal, but if liberals in the White House, Congress and the Supreme Court allow abortions to happen, it does not mean we cannot do everything in our power — at the state level — to protect life. I am proud of the work we have done and how far we have come as a state. Thank you for your support in this fight.