Missouri House Approves Pro-Life Bill to Stop Sanctuary Cities for Abortion

Steve Rupp, President of Missouri Right to Life, praises the House Members for their action today on HCS HB 174.

The Missouri House gave first round approval today to HCS HB 174. HCS HB 174 would give clear protection to the religious liberty of alternatives-to-abortion agencies and their agents to freely engage in religious practices and speech without government interference.

In HCS HB 174, a political subdivision of this state is preempted from enacting, adopting, or enforcing any ordinance or any other form of regulation that would interfere with, or otherwise adversely affect an alternatives-to-abortion agency or any other religious organizations and their agents’ operations or speech.

HCS HB 174 is necessary because an ordinance (BB 203) was passed by the Board of Aldermen in the City of St. Louis. This ordinance attacks and threatens the deeply held moral and religious convictions of the people of St. Louis by seeking to make St. Louis a “sanctuary city” for abortion.

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Unless HCS HB 174 is enacted, BB 203 will force churches and others to be complicit in the profound evil of abortion. Today the House, with a vote of 116 to 34, took the first step to correct this situation.

After final approval in the House, the bill will move to the Senate for passage. Governor Greitens has committed to signing this legislation.