"Still Here" reads a banner on the front of the Planned Parenthood building on Forest Park Avenue in 51黑料 as seen on Monday, Sept. 20, 2021.聽
JEFFERSON CITY 鈥 The Republican-controlled House on Wednesday approved legislation barring state Medicaid dollars for Planned Parenthood, sending the bill to Gov. Mike Parson for his signature.
While the outcome was expected, debate Wednesday pointed to deep division in the state on the issue of abortion as voters prepare to possibly weigh in later this year on whether to overturn Missouri鈥檚 near-total ban on the procedure.
Democratic lawmakers during debate Monday predicted electoral blowback for the Republicans, who have long sought to block funds for Planned Parenthood, which no longer performs abortions in Missouri. A law banning the procedure except in medical emergencies went into effect when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022.
A possible ballot measure for the Nov. 5 election would legalize abortions until after the point of fetal viability. It would also prohibit the state from discriminating against reproductive health care providers.
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鈥淵ou all know that November is coming. And this bill will not matter,鈥 said Rep. Keri Ingle, D-Lee鈥檚 Summit. 鈥淲omen of this state are going to come in full force and demand their rights back.鈥
鈥淐ome November, you鈥檒l all see what the voters want and it鈥檚 not this,鈥 said Rep. Ashley Aune, D-Kansas City.
While Planned Parenthood doesn鈥檛 currently provide abortions in Missouri, it does provide other services such as cancer screenings, testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections, birth control, annual wellness exams and more.
Planned Parenthood doesn鈥檛 currently receive state Medicaid reimbursement funds and has been paying for care to low-income individuals using Medicaid, the group said Wednesday.
A joint statement by the state鈥檚 two Planned Parenthood chapters Wednesday said experts agree the 鈥渉ealth care safety-net system鈥 couldn鈥檛 absorb all of Planned Parenthood鈥檚 patients.
鈥淎t Planned Parenthood, we鈥檒l continue to do everything we can to continue serving our patients 鈥 no matter what,鈥 the joint statement said.
The measure passed on a party-line 106-48 vote, with five Republicans and three Democrats absent.
During debate, Democrats repeatedly yelled 鈥減oint of order!鈥 as Rep. Justin Sparks, R-Wildwood, spoke in favor of the defunding measure.
Sparks said during the abortion procedure 鈥渓imbs are ripped violently鈥 鈥 House Speaker Dean Plocher subsequently requested that members avoid 鈥渧ivid鈥 descriptions 鈥 and that 鈥淧lanned Parenthood performs abortions.鈥
Rep. LaKeySha Bosley, D-51黑料, who raised a point of order after the latter statement, said 鈥渁bortions are illegal in this state.... Please stay germane to the topic.鈥
鈥淭he truth must be shouted down because they cannot hear it. They refuse to hear it,鈥 Sparks said.
Rep. Mazzie Christensen, R-Bethany, then referenced a video by Project Veritas now the subject of a lawsuit by Attorney General Andrew Bailey against Planned Parenthood.
The Republican attorney general鈥檚 lawsuit filed in February accused Planned Parenthood of illegally taking minors into Kansas to obtain abortions without parental consent.
Bailey鈥檚 lawsuit provides no evidence of the actions alleged outside of the hidden camera video from Project Veritas, a conservative group.
The video is of a conversation between Planned Parenthood employees and someone impersonating someone seeking an abortion for a fictitious 13-year-old.
鈥淭his was all done here in Missouri,鈥 Christensen said Wednesday. 鈥淭his should not be going on.鈥
Bailey鈥檚 lawsuit is based on false information.
Even with the acrimony Wednesday, passage of the measure potentially paves the way for action to fund state government for the fiscal year beginning July 1.
Hard-line Republicans have tied passage of the Planned Parenthood defunding measure to a renewal of the Federal Reimbursement Allowance, a tax on medical providers that generates billions of dollars of funding for the state鈥檚 Medicaid program.
The Missouri Freedom Caucus wants Parson, a Republican, to sign the defunding measure before the splinter faction allows action on the FRA renewal.
Senate Appropriations Chair Lincoln Hough, R-Springfield, has said the faction is using the FRA as a negotiating tool.
鈥淭he 鈥榗haos caucus鈥 got what they wanted,鈥 Rep. Deb Lavender, D-Manchester, said. 鈥淵ou have made it clear that boys on this floor and in the Senate are in charge of Missouri.鈥
The defunding measure cleared the Senate earlier this month on a party-line vote after Democrats staged a 12-hour filibuster.
The legislation is Hous
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
