A House Democrat has filed an amendment to the state budget that would bar the use of Department of Corrections funds for abortion, cloning or stem cell research.
Representative Keith English (photo courtesy; Tim Bommel, Missouri House Communications)
Representative Keith English’s (D-Florrisant) proposal would add to the budget bill for the Department of Corrections language that would prevent the use of funds from that bill for any “intentional life-ending medical procedure including, but not limited to, abortion, cloning or stem cell research.” It would also require that funds in that budget bill be subject to the same statutory provisions and definitions that govern funds going to the Life Sciences Research Board.
English, a self-described pro-life Democrat, says he doesn’t want taxpayers paying for abortions for inmates in Missouri’s prison system.
The U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis declared unconstitutional in 2008 a Corrections Department’s policy that prohibited transportation of inmates to clinics for abortions that are not medically necessary. English says his amendment would also prevent such transportation to be funded.
He wants the money that would be used for inmate abortions go to sheltered workshops.
The House is anticipated to begin debate if the proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2015 Tuesday. Amendments such as that filed by English may or may not be offered during that debate.
The budget bill for Corrections is HB 2009.
