Missouri Governor Matt Blunt Won’t Use Atty General to Defend Abortion Law

State   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Aug 23, 2007   |   9:00AM   |   WASHINGTON, DC

Missouri Governor Matt Blunt Won’t Use Atty General to Defend Abortion Law Email this article
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by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
August 23,
2007

Jefferson City, MO (LifeNews.com) — The administration of Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt won’t rely on pro-abortion Attorney General Jay Nixon to defend a law that protects women by requiring abortion facilities to meet basic health and safety requirements. Blunt’s health director plans to use private attorneys to help defend the law in court.

That’s because Director Jane Drummond says she doesn’t trust Nixon to adequately defend the law against a vigorous challenge from Planned Parenthood.

She told the Associated Press that Nixon is a supporter of "abortion on demand and a political ally of Planned Parenthood.”

"Since my department is the specific target of this litigation, I want to make sure that the regulations that we have interpreted are defended adequately," Drummond explained.

"I do know that he has received some campaign contributions, specifically from the attorneys representing Planned Parenthood in this case, as well as from a Planned Parenthood fundraiser," she added.

Nixon released a statement saying he would cooperate with Drummon’d department and lend any help he can. He will take part in the lawsuit as well because he is named as a defendent.

The decision could also be political as Blunt is a Republican who is running for re-election and Nixon is a pro-abortion Democrat seeking to challenge him next year.

The abortion business filed a lawsuit on August 19 seeking to overturn the new law, which is scheduled to take effect on August 28.

Planned Parenthood says the stringent requirements could result in the closing of abortion businesses that are unable to comply.

Under the law, abortion centers would be monitored by the Department of Health and Senior Services as ambulatory surgical clinics, which must meet higher standards for both the facility and staff.

That designation applies to any abortion center where any second or third-trimester abortions are done as well as places that do more than five first-trimester abortions a month.

Planned Parenthood claims the new regulations would require extensive remodeling to its Columbia facility that would cost $2 million. Without the refurbishment, the abortion center would have to close because it couldn’t meet the new safety codes.

Paula Gianino, president of Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region, previously said other abortion businesses could be affected as well.

She indicated that Planned Parenthood’s St. Louis abortion facility is currently the only one in the state licensed to do abortions. The Planned Parenthood abortion centers in Columbia and Kansas City do abortions only two days a month and offer the abortion drug respectively.

They would also be subject to the new requirements.

Blunt signed the law last month and said it is "one of the strongest pieces of pro-life legislation in Missouri history."

The new law also would increase state oversight on abortion centers and prohibit them from distributing materials for sexual education courses in public schools. Planned Parenthood has a half dozen people that go to schools to spread its pro-abortion message.

The legislation gives schools districts the option of teaching abstinence-only sex education whereas current law requires them to include safe sex materials as well.