FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 5, 2025
Contact: Claire Cook-Callen, claire@progressmo.org

Congressman Eric Burlison introduces federal abortion ban months after MO votes to end statewide ban

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Rep. Eric Burlison of Southwest Missouri is turning his back on Missourians in filing H.R. 722, which will effectively institute a federal abortion ban across the United States. This bill comes less than three months after 1.5 million Missouri voters approved Amendment 3 to end the state’s total abortion ban. 

Residents of Burlison’s district, Congressional District 7, are outraged that their Congressman would ignore the will of Missourians. 

“This bill is dangerous and life-threatening to women and those who reproduce,” said Libby Becker, a resident of Springfield. “Banning abortion will not stop abortions. It will only stop safe abortions. I am a queer woman that does not ever want a child and if I were to become pregnant through rape, I would do everything in my power to not go through with that pregnancy. This bill does not protect women.”

Missourians submitted more than 45,000 signatures from CD7 to place Amendment 3 on the ballot, 150% of the required 30,000. 

“As part of the strategy team for Abortion Action Missouri, I knocked over 100 doors in Springfield for Amendment 3.” Becker said. “I spoke to constituents who opposed the abortion ban in Missouri. The people have spoken and we want the government out of our doctors offices.” 

Informally titled the Life at Conception Act, H.R. 722 attempts to radically redefine personhood to the moment of conception, extending constitutional rights to fetuses and embryos.

In addition to ignoring the majority of Missourians, the bill also flies in the face of President Donald Trump’s previously stated stance of leaving abortion to the states. 

This bill is just the latest example of Burlison’s ongoing crusade against abortion and reproductive rights. As a State Senator in 2019, he voted for HB 126,which banned all abortions in Missouri with no exemptions for rape or incest. In 2022 he launched an attack on abortion and reproductive service providers.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2024
Contact: Claire Cook-Callen, claire@progressmo.org
Denise Lieberman, media@movpc.org

Missourians Urge Lawmakers to Protect Majority Rule at Voting Rights Legislative Day

JEFFERSON CITY – Hundreds of Missourians gathered in the Capitol rotunda on Tuesday, January 28 to urge lawmakers to protect majority rule and ditch efforts to alter the initiative petition process. Missourians delivered a clear message: Don’t end majority rule in Missouri.

Majority rule has been law in Missouri for more than 100 years, but now politicians want to rig the rules so that a small minority of Missourians can veto any statewide proposal.

“The principle of ‘one person, one vote’ is key to our freedom to make decisions about policies that will impact us and our families,” said Elizabeth Franklin, resident of Plattsburg. “It doesn’t matter where you live, one person’s vote should not matter more or less than any other vote. Once the voters of Missouri have spoken on a measure, the majority decision must be respected by the lawmakers in Jefferson City.”

Franklin and other concerned citizens gathered for the non-partisan Missouri Voting Rights Legislative Day, organized by the Missouri Voter Protection Coalition, to urge lawmakers to reject efforts to undermine Missouri’s citizen initiative petition process. Attendees also spoke to lawmakers in support of protecting election workers from threats and harassment, and restoring voting rights to those on probation and parole.

“Like most Missourians, I work hard,” Alejandro Gallardo of Columbia told the crowd. “I put in long hours as a restaurant worker, and I bust my butt each day. Despite my dedication and hard work, I often found myself in a difficult situation. Calling in sick to care for myself – losing out on a day’s pay or risk getting my coworkers and customers sick while earning the paycheck I need to survive. Now, because of Missouri’s initiative petition process, I no longer have to make those tough decisions. I joined with hundreds of volunteers to take democracy into our own hands and collect signatures and pass a law that we needed and lawmakers in Jefferson City refused to do.”

More than two dozen bills threatening majority rule and proposing changes to the initiative petition process have already been filed. After last year’s historic 50-hour filibuster and record-low number of passed bills, Missourians are eager for lawmakers to focus on issues that matter most rather than trying to trick them into giving up their freedoms.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024
Contact: Claire Cook-Callen, Claire@ProgressMO.org​

Residents and voters in western St. Louis County speak out on the importance of the upcoming election for State Senate

Voters from Senate District 15 in western St. Louis County urged their neighbors and communities to vote for a candidate this November who will uphold the will of the people. 

While no votes have yet been counted, candidates for the Missouri Senate are already promising voters they will overturn the election results on Amendment 3 and any other outcome they don’t support. In recent years, the Missouri Legislature has taken it upon themselves to overturn measures passed by a majority of voters when politicians disagreed with the outcome including regulations on puppy mills, a citizen-led end to gerrymandering, and refusing to fund the expanded Medicaid program. 

The will of the people should be the final say, not that of greedy politicians who like to play political games. 

“It is on us to elect politicians who will uphold the will of Missourians,” said Erin Hill, voter in Senate District 15. “State senators hold enormous power in ensuring that amendments when they pass at the ballot box are enacted and go into effect. We have seen time and time again examples where what we voted for was delayed or dismantled and flat out rejected by state lawmakers.”

Candidates vying to represent Senate District 15 are Democrat Joe Pereles and Republican David Gregory. Pereles is a businessman and 40-year volunteer and Global Leader with the Red Cross. Gregory is an attorney, accountant, and former state representative. Gregory voted to overturn voter-approved redistricting reform known as Clean Missouri in 2020, and he sponsored and passed Missouri’s total abortion ban. 

“Too often these days, it seems our state legislators are up to something underhanded,” said Mary Ann Perkins, lifelong Ellisville resident and volunteer with Abortion Action Missouri. “Meanwhile, Missouri voters and Missouri families have gotten the short end of the stick. Again and again, we find that our elected officials in Jefferson City have crossed the line — instead of doing their jobs, they’re pouring time, attention and money into unpopular legislation. No matter who wins in November, our elected officials owe it to us to serve us, to represent us and to be accountable to uphold the will of the people – not dismantle it.” 

“The candidates I’ll be voting for understand that it is us, the people, who have political power,” continued Hill. “It is us, the people, who are voting and making our voices known. I’ll be voting for candidates who I can trust to raise our voices and fight for the issues that matter to us.”

“​​Even though Amendment 3 has my personal vote, I know my vote will not be protected by the current Missouri Legislature,” Nancy O’Brien told those gathered. “The Missouri Legislature has a history of ignoring the voice of people. They have been actively telling voters, ‘We don’t want to hear what you have to say. We know what is best for you.’ But it’s time for us to vote out those who won’t listen to what we the voters decide. We need candidates who will respect our will.”

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Sen. Hawley voted repeatedly against U.S. disaster support while whining about government response

As natural disasters continue to strike the U.S., Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley’s cold and calculated votes against FEMA funding prove he’s once again playing politics with people’s lives and putting party over the needs of everyday people.

As Hurricane Milton bears down on the southern U.S., not even two weeks removed from the damage wrought by Hurricane Helene, Hawley has found company among senators attempting to break the government to demonstrate that it doesn’t work in his desperation to get reelected.

Hawley was one of just 18 senators who voted against a bipartisan bill funding FEMA on Sept. 25, 2024, and he also previously voted against funding the disaster response agency.

Hawley recognizes the value that FEMA provides to the U.S., as he co-sponsored the bipartisan Federal Disaster Response Act in 2020 to remove the one-year FEMA worker deployment cap. He also tweeted about the importance of a strong response to disasters by FEMA following flooding in Missouri in 2022.

However, as polls show Hawley’s lead dwindling in Missouri’s U.S. Senate race and former allies like former Republican U.S. Senator Jack Danforth say they don’t want to see him get reelected, Hawley has joined forces with other extremists.

The purposeful spread of lies and misinformation by Hawley and others like him have created such a dangerous situation for the people living in affected areas that FEMA had to create a response website to debunk their falsehoods.

Hawley will continue to do and say anything he can to be reelected, regardless of how harmful it is to real people trying to survive dangerous conditions.

From unethical to straight-up weird, Missouri State Senate candidates deserve more scrutiny.

This November, Missouri voters will make their voices heard in a number of key races. We took the time to examine some of the key State Senate races and found a number of things Missourians need to know before heading to the polls.

In Independence, Joe Nicola in SD 11 wrote a post about how he opposes medication to treat mental illness and that “demon possession” is “real and is more common then we may think.” He further cites the Bible as a guide to treat mental health, saying to “cast the demon out, not give it drugs.” More about Nicola >>

Despite running to represent St. Louis, David Gregory in SD 15 is already planning to tear down a 141-year-old historic home in Jeff City and replace it with a literal castle. Fitting for a candidate who wants to lord over our state and control women’s bodies. More about Gregory >>

Meanwhile in Kansas City, Jerry Nolte in SD 17 thinks he deserves more power despite costing taxpayers over $350,000 in harassment and retaliation claims from Clay County employees. More about Nolte >>

And finally in St. Charles, Adam Schnelting in SD 23 can’t quit bragging about how he allegedly wrote Missouri’s cruel abortion ban despite not being the sponsor or co-sponsor of the bill. However he did make a creepy video telling Missourians to not sign the petition that gave them a voice on the issue. More about Schnelting >>

“The more we learn about some State Senate candidates, the more sure we are that they aren’t right for Missouri,” Liz McCune, Progress Missouri Executive Director, said. “Voters have time and time again told legislators to focus on issues like protecting reproductive freedoms and improving educational opportunities. These politicians keep proving that they refuse to listen.”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024
Contact: Claire Cook-Callen, Claire@ProgressMO.org​

Hawley’s vote against IVF access is the latest in a long line of attacks on reproductive freedom

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – On Tuesday, Sept. 17, Sen. Josh Hawley voted to block the Right to IVF Act for the second time this year. This crucial legislation would have protected access to in vitro fertilization (IVF) and reduce the financial burden on families seeking treatment. 

Liz McCune, Progress Missouri Executive Director, said the following:

​“For the second time this year, Senator Hawley voted to block the Right to IVF Act, turning his back on Missouri families needing IVF treatments. This critical legislation would have protected the right to IVF while reducing its financial burden by requiring insurance companies to cover the procedure.

​“Josh Hawley likes to talk about being pro-family, but his actions—opposing both the Right to IVF Act and the Right to Contraception Act—show he cares more about advancing his extremist agenda than protecting Missouri families.

“If that weren’t bad enough, Senator Hawley called Amendment 3, the popular measure that would restore Missourians’ reproductive rights, the ‘most radical attempt to destroy the family in Missouri’s history.’ Hawley’s extreme agenda is not just wrong—it’s a direct threat to the personal freedoms that the people of Missouri overwhelmingly want to protect. This fall, Misourians have the power to fight back and restore their reproductive freedoms by voting against Josh Hawley and for Amendment 3.”

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Independence, Mo. – Voters selected Joe Nicola as the Republican candidate for Senate District 11. As an unelected and untested candidate, Nicola’s positions and comments are not widely known by voters. After a thorough examination of his record and comments, it’s clear Nicola is the wrong choice for Missouri. 

Here are 5 things to know about Joe Nicola:

1. Nicola supports Missouri’s total ban on abortion. On social media, Nicola describes himself as “fully pro-life at all stages of life… from conception all the way to the grave.”
   
2. Nicola wants to take $3.6 billion away from our local public schools. Nicola supports a radical education funding scheme that would cost local public schools $3.6 billion due to a worry of current funding having “strings attached.”
   
3. Nicola opposes medication to treat mental illness. Joe Nicola has said that mental illness is not a real illness and opposes medication to treat it. He wrote that “not one person that Jesus dealt with was diagnosed mental illness – not one. The Bible tells us they were demon possessed and the only way to deal with it is to cast the demon out, not give it drugs. That is how Jesus handled it and He gave us the authority to do it as well.”
   
4. Nicola wants to ban IVF and control birth control access. Nicola supports Alabama-style fetal personhood bills that threaten IVF and birth control access.
   
5. Nicola will push for expanded voucher programs. Nicola supports school voucher schemes that take money away from local public schools where the vast majority of Missouri’s kids attend. 

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, Sept. 13, 2024
Contact: liz@progressmo.org

Missouri State Senate candidates turn attention to controlling birth control access

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Politicians continue to demand more control over Missourians’ lives despite citizens telling them they want their freedom. Missouri’s cruel abortion ban, with no exceptions for rape or incest, was just the beginning for candidates who show no signs of stopping their crusade. 

According to data from the Missouri Family Health Council, over 85% of Missourians support people having access to all methods of birth control. But 60% of Missourians have expressed concern about state elected officials restricting access.

State Senate candidates are campaigning on taking away these freedoms, hoping Missourians won’t notice their attempts to seize more power over women’s bodies. 

Joe Nicola, running for State District 11 in Independence, is against protecting the right to access birth control and has said Missourians must “protect life at all stages.” 

Adam Schnelting, running for State District 23 in St. Charles, knows Missourians want the right to make their own personal medical decisions and actively encouraged them to not sign the initiative petition that would enshrine protection for birth control. 

As a state representative, Jerry Nolte, currently running for State District 17 in North Kansas City, voted to let pharmacists and doctors refuse emergency contraception such as Plan B to Missourians. 

Missourians are fighting back and refusing to let politicians get away with these draconian measures. 

“First they came for abortion. Then IVF. Now contraception,” said Heather Lindsy, a St. Louis resident. “This isn’t about policy. It’s about control.”

The historically unproductive 2024 legislative session was marked by Missouri electeds refusing to pass a bipartisan women’s health bill with provisions on birth control access, mammograms, rape kit tests and STI screenings. But because politicians incorrectly equated birth control with abortifacients and the delays sunk the bill.

Nancy Bateman is a retired nurse from Jefferson City who has seen firsthand how dangerous these attacks on health care are.

“At my age I have witnessed the advances in civil rights women and minorities have made in the past 60 years. The terrible and unequal laws that have been enacted have made me heartsick and afraid for our citizens,” Bateman said. “It’s a travesty and overreach of government in the quest for adequate health care.”