A state senator wants to know if an arrangement between a Columbia hospital and a doctor performing abortions could be violating state law.
Senator Kurt Schaefer
Senator Kurt Schaefer (R-Columbia) chairs the senate committee investigating whether Planned Parenthood is violating any laws in Missouri in its handling of fetal tissue. Now he’s exploring whether the University of Missouri hospital is violating the law by entering into an agreement to allow a doctor who is performing abortions in Columbia to refer patients to it and to follow-up on them.
“If in fact they do have that agreement … it looks like that agreement is what allowed that license to be issued,” Schaefer told Missourinet, referring to the license issued to the Planned Parenthood facility in July that allows it to resume performing abortions.
“It is against the law for the use of public funds to in any way promote or assist in the performance of abortions, and so I think that raises a real question if in fact it is the University that enabled this license to be issued by giving that agreement, I think there are some potential issues there with that law as well as others,” said Schaefer. “Missouri citizens have said over and over they do not want public funds used to perform abortions.”
Schaefer is asking the hospital for more information, “Asking them for a copy of any privilege agreement they have with that doctor who’s performing those abortions at the Columbia facility, or the facility itself.”
After a hearing Thursday, Schaefer has given the Department until Friday to produce documents about that agreement, or he is threatening its director with contempt.
