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Judge Rules Columbia Planned Parenthood Cannot Resume Abortions
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 The Planned Parenthood clinic in Columbia cannot resume abortions after a federal judge ruled that state restrictions were not undue burdens on women seeking abortions. Missouri law requires abortion clinics to have admitting privileges at a nearby hospital. The Columbia clinic has been unable to meet this requirement and has therefore been unable to offer abortions at that facility.
In December, Planned Parenthood sought an injunction to block the admitting privileges requirement and allow it to resume abortions. Last week, Judge Brian Wimes ruled the Missouri requirements were not an "undue burden" to women's access to abortions in Missouri. In his ruling, Judge Wimes stated that Planned Parenthood had not presented evidence of trying to find doctors with necessary hospital privileges or evidence of fewer doctors, longer wait times, and increased crowding at the St. Louis abortion clinic.
As a result of the ruling, the St. Louis clinic is the only one in Missouri that is able to provide abortions. |
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USCCB President Hopes to Advance Further Accountability Procedures Following Rome Summit
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 Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, issued a statement this week after attending Pope Francis' summit on child sexual abuse in Rome. In the statement, DiNardo indicated that in order to address the significant concerns raised by survivors of abuse at the summit, he expects the bishops to continue the work they had begun this fall strengthening the Dallas Charter, and to "prepare to advance proposals, in communion with the Holy See, ...so that my brother bishops can consider them at our June General Assembly." These proposals, he remarked, include "the need to establish specific protocols for handling accusations against bishops, user-friendly reporting mechanisms, and the essential role transparency must play in the healing process." DiNardo asked for continued prayers for church leaders and also for the assistance of lay people to help bring these changes to fruition. |
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House Approves Sweeping Pro-life Bill
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 After more than two hours of debate, the House approved a bill that could ban nearly all abortions in Missouri. The Missouri House voted 117 - 39 to send HB 126, sponsored by Rep. Nick Schroer (R-O'Fallon), to the Senate. All Republicans and three Democrats voted for the measure, which would prohibit abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detected.
During the bill's perfection, other pro-life amendments were added, including a ban on abortions after 20 weeks gestation, a ban on abortions performed on the basis of a Down Syndrome diagnosis, and a requirement that both parents be notified before a minor child can receive an abortion. HB 126 was also amended to include a "trigger law", which would go into effect if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade and would ban all abortions in the state except in cases of a medical emergency.
In comments after the bill's passage, Rep. Schroer called HB 126 "the most comprehensive and strongest" pro-life legislation in the nation. HB 126 now heads to the Senate for further consideration. |
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House Committee Advances Earned Income Tax Credit
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 This week, the Missouri House Ways and Means Committee narrowly advanced HB 291, sponsored by Rep. Bill Kidd (R-Buckner), that would establish a state earned income tax credit (EITC) for Missouri's working poor. By a vote of 5-4, the committee voted to "Do Pass" the measure, which would allow qualifying Missouri workers to claim 20 percent of the tax credit allowable under federal law on their state tax return. Missouri is currently facing a significant budget shortfall for FY 2019, however, and HB 291 comes with a price tag of around $41 million, making chances of passage this year slim given the current economic realities facing the General Assembly. The MCC is encouraged, however, that the bill had a hearing and was able to garner enough votes to pass through the initial committee. The bill will need further committee review before heading to the House floor for debate. |
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House Committee Approves Private Probation Bill
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 This week, the House Special Committee on Criminal Justice approved by a vote of 7-2 a bill that puts some restrictions on private probation services. HB 80, sponsored by Rep. Justin Hill (R-Lake St. Charles), would leave it up to a judge to decide if someone needs drug or alcohol treatment. Currently, many private probation services conduct testing for drug or alcohol treatment on their own without an order from the court. The bill also seeks to put some oversight on the private probation services that monitor misdemeanor offenses by limiting the time that private probation services can keep someone on probation status to 18 months. The MCC testified in favor of the bill. |
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MO Catholic Charities Advocacy Day is March 5th
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 On Tuesday, March 5, Catholic Charities of Missouri will host an advocacy day at the Missouri State Capitol. Join Catholic Charities agencies from across the state as they raise awareness of poverty and advocate for public policies to support and empower clients and other low-income Missourians. If you'd like to attend, the organizers ask that you please RSVP to Leslie Prenger at lprenger@cccnmo.org or 573.635.7719 with your name, address, and email address. Head to the Capitol on Tuesday to advocate for these worthy causes! |
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Preparing for Lent
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.jpg) As we close out the second month of the new year, we prepare to commemorate a vital part of the liturgical year: Lent. Ash Wednesday, which falls on March 6th this year, marks the beginning of the forty-day season. As we prepare to embark on the Lenten journey, let's review what we have to look forward to with this helpful article from Aleteia. |
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