General Assembly fails to act on pro-life measures
The Missouri General Assembly passed on a great opportunity to enact new pro-life legislation when they convened in Jefferson City for a constitutionally required veto session earlier this month. Gov. Matt Blunt, a pro-lifer, had said he would call a special session to run concurrently with the veto session if House and Senate leadership would agree to consider House Bill 1831. The bill would have called for mothers to have the opportunity to view an ultrasound and receive information on their unborn child’s development before deciding on an abortion. Lawmakers could have also used a special session to close the loophole in House Bill 818 (passed last year) that could allow abortions to be performed by non-physicians.
It is a shame House and Senate leadership failed to act. It is particularly disheartening to pro-life evangelicals who work so hard to put pro-life lawmakers in office only to watch them squander opportunities like this that would further discourage the killing of innocent life. This was a perfect time to act with a pro-life governor and pro-lifers holding a majority in both the House and Senate.
Further pro-life legislation in Missouri is in doubt since Blunt had decided not to seek re-election. The outcome of the governor’s race between pro-life Republican Kenny Hulshof and pro-choice Democrat Jay Nixon is uncertain. It is not known if pro-life majorities in the General Assembly will return following the November elections.
Many evangelicals are fed-up with the lip service paid by so-called pro-life candidates, only to see them do little or nothing after benefiting from the hard work of evangelical campaign volunteers along with their money and votes. Missouri Southern Baptists must not be discouraged. We must continue to pray and as citizens of both an earthly kingdom and a heavenly kingdom, we must vote in a way consistent with God’s Word and never stop encouraging government to be righteous and just.