Erasing Whatever Doubt is Left that Church & State Are No Longer Separate
By From the Kansas City Star (via C&L):
Gov. Matt Blunt signed legislation Friday placing more abortion clinics under government oversight by classifying them as ambulatory surgical centers. Planned Parenthood claimed the law, HB 1055, could force it to spend up to $2 million to remodel one of its clinics and halt medical abortions at another site.
The new law, which will take effect Aug. 28, also bars people affiliated with abortion providers from teaching or supplying materials for sex education courses in public schools, and it allows schools to offer abstinence-only programs.
It cements into state statute an existing grant program for centers that encourage women to deliver babies instead of having abortions.
Blunt proclaimed the law “one of the strongest pieces of pro-life legislation in Missouri history” as he spoke from a cross-shaped lectern during a signing ceremony in the sanctuary of Concord Baptist Church . The governor also was scheduled to promote the legislation in Joplin, Hannibal and suburban St. Louis. (emphasis mine)
So let me get this straight. The signing statement. For a state bill. Was at a church. With a cross-shaped lectern?!
Getting to the nitty-gritty of the law, its ramifications are huge for Missouri. Beyond placing expensive and onerous, not to mention unnecessary, new requirements on reproductive health clinics, the law will harshly restrict access to sex ed. In Missouri, Planned Parenthood runs a lot of the in-school real sex-ed. This law may place their involvement in jeopardy. Also, I am so sick of the anti-choice movement portraying Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers as diabolical people who will do whatever they can to keep the abortions flowing. Here’s what one supporter of the bill in Missouri said to the KC Star:
Missouri Right to Life, which backed the measure, says groups such as Planned Parenthood have a conflict of interest in supplying materials for sex education courses, because they could potentially make money off female students who later visit their clinics.
That’s right. People who believe in comprehensive sex ed — the ones working within the parameters of the real world to actually prevent pregnancy — are (bwah hah hah) just conniving to get more young women pregnant so they can keep providing abortions. Or, god forbid, they want to make sure young people know that their clinics provide full reproductive healthcare. No! not healthcare!
Blue Girl, Red State has more.