Update 5/10/2024: Missouri Gov. Mike Parson signed legislation on Thursday to prohibit the state’s Medicaid program from funding Planned Parenthood.
House Budget Chairman Cody Smith called it “a tremendous victory for life in the state of Missouri.”
State Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman said, “Under [Parson’s] leadership, he’s done everything he can do make sure that taxpayer dollars do not go to organizations that support and fund abortions.”
The bill takes effect on August 28, but it is expected to be challegned in court.
3/4/2024: A bill that would prohibit Planned Parenthood and other abortion businesses from receiving Medicaid reimbursements passed the first round in the Missouri House last Wednesday.
“House Bill 2634 would seek to simply codify that in statute and say that we are not going to allow abortion providers or their affiliates to be reimbursed through our state’s Medicaid program,” explained the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Cody Smith.
Planned Parenthood does not currently commit abortions in the state due to the state’s legal protections for preborn children, but the legislation would still prohibit the abortion giant from receiving any government funding.
Planned Parenthood has decried the legislation with the claim that it will deprive citizens of basic health care, but a recent undercover video investigation by Project Veritas appeared to show that facility staffers were willing to aid in the abortion trafficking of a 13-year-old who would have had to cross state lines for an abortion. As Smith pointed out during floor debate, giving any funding to the organization may result in more abortions.
“When you do business with an entity like a Planned Parenthood, you’re ultimately subsidizing those abortion services, even if they are in other states,” he said. “This vote is a vote for life,” he added.
“Missouri is a pro-life state that has shown over and over and over the importance of protecting our pre-born,” added Rep. Ann Kelley, a supporter of the bill. “Public funds should not be used to support organizations that provide abortions in our country.”
The legislation comes just weeks after the Missouri Supreme Court ruled that it was unconstitutional for the state to withhold funds from going to the abortion giant in the state budget, which it tried to do in 2022. Instead, it said lawmakers had to use legislation rather than the budget to defund Planned Parenthood.
The bill still needs approval from the full House before it can head to the Senate. Similar legislation is currently stalled in the state Senate.
