Governor Eric Greitens held a rally at the University Plaza Hotel Friday to raise awareness about what he’s calling a pro-life special session. Greitens called the session to consider new abortion laws and reverse a St. Louis ordinance concerning abortions. That ordinance protects women against workplace discrimination based on whether or not they’ve had an abortion, used contraceptives or are pregnant.
“I am proud to be pro-life,” said Greitens. “I think that we should protect life, that we should defend life that we should stand up and promote a culture of life here in the state of Missouri.”
He wants to tackle issues such as protecting pregnancy care centers and “common-sense” health and safety standards for abortion clinics. A few of the standards he wants to see mandated are annual safety inspections at the clinics and plans at each clinic to handle any medical complications.
Around 100 people attended the rally where Greitens was joined by Governor Mike Huckabee and CEO of the Pregnancy Care Center, Lisa McIntire.
McIntire praised Greitens by asking the crowd, “aren’t we blessed to have a governor who not only works hard to preserve life for the most vulnerable among us, but also isn’t afraid to fight back against the pro-abortion agenda that snuffs our innocent life and threatens women’s health and safety?”
Outside of the University Plaza, women and men who support pro-choice silently protested while Greitens held his rally.
Among those protesting was Stacy Sherrod, grassroots organizer for Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis and southwest region.
Sherrod said women face a lot of different circumstances, and to take away their rights is egregious.
“These legislators sit in Jeff City and make these cuts while they try to make abortion inaccessible for women, and it leaves women and people who experience pregnancy in a spot that they cannot get out of,” said Sherrod.
The special session on abortion is set to start on Monday June 12th.