Hundreds of pro-life advocates gathered at the Capitol Wednesday to advocate for stricter abortion laws in Missouri.
Republican policymakers, including Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, joined the march.
Other speakers and guests included Abby Johnson, CEO and founder of And Then There Were None; Reagan Barklage, national field team director for Students for Life America; and Catherine Glenn Foster, CEO of Americans United for Life. Members of the Catholic Diocese of Jefferson City and the Missouri Baptist Convention also spoke at the rally.
This year’s march began on the steps of the South Capitol Lawn and traveled down to the Governor’s Mansion before concluding back at the Capitol.
Wednesday’s event was sponsored by the Midwest March for Life, an organization founded in 2010 in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark Roe v. Wade ruling.
Missouri only has one abortion clinic operating in the state.
The rally came at a particularly decisive moment in both state and federal politics. Missouri passed a strict abortion ban in 2019, but courts have prevented it from going into effect.
Rep. Mary Elizabeth Coleman, who is running for state Senate, garnered national media attention this year for her efforts to prevent Missourians from obtaining out-of-state abortions. And other GOP lawmakers are working on anti-abortion legislation as well.
The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule on an abortion case from Mississippi this year — which could have an impact on Missouri’s attempt to further restrict abortion services
Kelton is a 2023 graduate of the University of Missouri with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies. He is a native of mid-Missouri and likes to write politics at both the state and federal levels. Kelton joined the Missouri Times in April 2022
