St. Louis aldermanic bill gives $1 million in ARPA funds to help women get abortions

[June 25, 2022]  (The Center Square) – Elected leaders in St. Louis – the location of Missouri's only clinic licensed to perform abortions – introduced a bill today to use federal COVID-19 funds to facilitate women's access to abortion hours after a state law eliminated non-medically necessary abortions hours earlier.

Board Bill 61 was introduced and referred to the St. Louis Board of Aldermen's Health and Human Service Committee. The action took place after Alderwoman Cara Spencer, who unsuccessfully ran for mayor last year, asked for a moment of silence to "recognize the rights of women that were trampled on by the Supreme Court."

The bill appropriates $1 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds allocated to the city's health department. The city received $498 million in ARPA funds, a $1.9 trillion federal funding program passed by Congress in March 2021. It was created to provide money to families, governments, businesses, schools, nonprofits and other entities adversely affected by the pandemic.

The bill will establish a "Reproductive Equity Fund" dedicated to logistical support for women desiring an abortion. The bill's language acknowledges using the money to fund abortion procedures violates federal law. The funds will be used "to provide access to abortion through logistical support including, but not limited to, the funding of childcare, transportation and other logistical support needs."

St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones didn't comment on the legislation but voiced frustration with today's Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade and pledged to continue working to "codify Roe into law."

"Today's unjust ruling from a far-right Supreme Court doesn't change the fact that 7 in 10 Missourians support the right to an abortion," Jones said in a statement. "It does not change the fact that in states like ours, we've already been living a post-Roe reality, with thousands traveling out of state for abortions."

Coalition Life, an organization dedicated to "ending abortion peacefully and prayerfully," stated it's anticipating many Missourians traveling to Illinois and other states for abortions.
 

"… a few miles away from St. Louis, in Fairview Heights, Ill., abortions may skyrocket as women travel across state lines to obtain abortions," Brian Westbrook, executive director of Coalition Life, said in a statement. "Our work only gets harder from here. Planned Parenthood and their abortion allies are poised to fight even harder against God's plan for life and His people. Abortion providers are planning big expansions in 'friendly' states. The so-called Planned Parenthood logistics center, that hopes to arrange travel for women seeking abortion, recently announced that they want to hire more people to bring women from far and wide for abortions."

St. Louis County Executive Sam Page issued an executive order directing its health department to improve contraceptive services and strengthen a partnership with the Missouri Family Health Council.

"Rolling back Roe triggers a major public health crisis in Missouri, where our state legislature has already discussed some of the most extreme laws in the country," Page said in a statement. "Abortion should be legal, safe, accessible, and affordable. Therefore, our health department will consult with every abortion provider and use every resource of St. Louis County government to ensure County employees and residents have access to the services they need to stay healthy."