A proposal to ban Medicaid reimbursements for abortion providers in Missouri has become law after Gov. Mike Parson affixed his signature to it.
The Republican governor signed House Bill (HB) 2634 into law on May 9, almost two years after Missouri's trigger law ended abortion in the state and on the same day of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in the Dobbs v. Jackson case. The new law, which is set to take effect on Aug. 28, ends Medicaid funding for abortion providers or affiliates.
Even though abortion is illegal and legislators discovered the state hasn’t paid any reimbursements to any abortion providers or affiliates in two years, the bill’s sponsors stated it was necessary to pass legal muster. "This same model has been upheld in another state that has already attempted to do [this] and in the same federal circuit we're in," Republican State Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman told reporters last month.
Members of the Republican Freedom Caucus in the Missouri Senate threatened to stop progress on all bills unless Parson signed HB 2634 when it reached his desk in late April. In a reply reported by many media outlets, the governor's office said he would review and sign bills on his timeline.
"Our administration has been the strongest pro-life administration in Missouri history," Parson said in a statement announcing the signing. "We've ended all elective abortions in this state, approved new support for mothers, expecting mothers and children and, with this bill, ensured that we are not sending taxpayer dollars to abortion providers for any purpose. We thank members of the [Missouri] General Assembly for recognizing this important issue and sending this legislation to my desk."
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Republicans in Missouri have tried for years to block Medicaid funding from Planned Parenthood, even after the organization stopped performing abortions in the state. Earlier this year, the Missouri Supreme Court overruled an attempt by the state to eliminate funding for abortion providers through the state budget. (Related: Missouri AG sues Planned Parenthood for trafficking minors to get abortions in other states.)
HB 2634 facing possible challenge in November election
But when HB 2634 takes effect, a campaign might be underway to overturn it during the November election.
Missourians for Constitutional Freedom delivered approximately 380,000 signatures to Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft to place a measure to legalize abortion on the November ballot. The initiative also would mandate state reimbursements to abortion providers. The signature certification results are required to be announced in August, the same month the new law takes effect.
According to the Missouri Independent, Planned Parenthood clinics in the state have continued to operate. With the abortion ban, the clinics have taken to providing patients with services like contraceptive care, STI testing, cancer screenings and wellness checks.
Democrats and abortion advocates have argued that the bill will target the state's most vulnerable population, and those who used Planned Parenthood for services other than abortion. The St. Louis and Southwest Missouri chapter of Planned Parenthood said the bill would restrict access to non-abortion-related care to low-income people in the state.
"Just like [Missouri's] abortion ban, 'defunding' is about power and control," it wrote. "It's part of the fight to make sure Missourians – not politicians – control their bodies, lives and futures."
"Parson may have signed the bill, but the fight for reproductive rights and health care access is far from over," Planned Parenthood Great Plains Votes meanwhile posted on X. "We won't stand idly by as politicians play games with people's lives. Every person deserves quality health care, including access to Planned Parenthood."
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