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Jefferson City, Mo. – Thursday, September 26, marks World Contraception Day, a day centered on the freedom to plan and power to choose when and how to start a family. Unfortunately, Missouri’s U.S. Senators Josh Hawley and Eric Schmitt have repeatedly voted against protecting access to birth control. 

In June, Hawley blocked the passage of the Right to Contraception Act. Hawley makes it clear that he will do anything to keep Missourians from having access to reproductive health care, from doubling down on being 100% pro-life to the work he and his wife have done to ensure families can’t access birth control through their employer. 

Missourians overwhelmingly support access to contraceptives, yet many fear their lawmakers have their sights set on restricting access. 

“We’ve been shouting from the rooftops for years now that they will come for your birth control too – they won’t stop at abortion,” said Heather Lindsy, St. Louis resident and activist. “I never thought I would see in my lifetime that we would actually experience this threat to control our reproductive choices.”

“I stand with women who fight for the ability to decide how to manage their own lives and participation in their own health care,” said Rev. Traci Blackmon, faith leader and registered nurse. “I am not a lawyer, so I don’t try cases. I am not a scientist, so I don’t look for new medicines or new cures. I stay in my lane. All I’m asking is that our legislators stay in their lanes. You are there to listen to your constituents. You are not there to make health care decisions. You are not there to weigh in on our bodily autonomy. Women and birthing people deserve to decide their own health care. Hear us and do as we ask.”

Every individual must be guaranteed the freedom to protect their reproductive health and to plan their family. Missouri needs senators who will listen to us, not rip our health care options away piece by piece. 

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.”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024
Contact: liz@progressmo.org

“Vote for Amendment 3 and Against Hawley to Reclaim Our Rights.”

ST. LOUIS, Mo. – Local leaders and advocates gathered outside Senator Josh Hawley’s St. Louis office to unveil a powerful new billboard featuring the bold message: “Your Body, His Choice: Senator Josh Hawley Wants to Control Your Reproductive Freedom.”

The billboard features a couple in an intimate moment, sitting together in bed. Looming over them is Senator Josh Hawley, who inserts himself into their bedroom to infringe on their right to make deeply personal decisions about their own bodies and futures.

With the highly popular Amendment 3 on the ballot this fall — which Hawley strangely declared “must be defeated” and the “most radical attempt to destroy the family in the history of our state” – Missourians can restore their rights and send a powerful message to politicians like Hawley who seek to take away their personal freedoms.

Liz McCune, Executive Director of Progress Missouri, remarked: “This billboard sends a clear message: Senator Hawley wants to control our bodies and make decisions that should belong to us, not the government. Hawley’s crusade against reproductive rights is extreme and dangerous and deeply out of step with most Missourians. Hawley celebrated the Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe and voted against contraception and IVF. This fall, we can fight back and protect our reproductive freedoms by voting for Amendment 3 and against Hawley.”

Ashley Mosley, a nursing home worker and union member, emphasized: “As a healthcare worker, I’ve seen the real consequences of extreme policies that take away our freedom to choose. When politicians like Senator Hawley interfere with our personal decisions, it’s the women and families working paycheck to paycheck who suffer most. This November, we can reclaim our rights by voting for Amendment 3 and against Hawley.”

Heather Lindsy, a women’s rights advocate, added: “Senator Hawley’s relentless crusade to control our bodies is nothing short of an assault on freedom. He doesn’t trust Missourians to make their own healthcare decisions, whether it’s about abortion, contraception, or IVF. By voting for Amendment 3 and against Hawley this November, we can stop his dangerous agenda, keep him out of our bedrooms, and reclaim our right to decide what happens in our own lives.”

The billboard unveiling comes in the wake of Tuesday’s critical ruling by the Missouri Supreme Court, which cleared the path for Amendment 3 to appear on the November ballot, giving Missourians the opportunity to restore their reproductive rights. The billboard can be viewed along I-270 at the McKelvey Road exit near the I-70 interchange.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, Sept. 6, 2024
Contact: liz@progressmo.org

Polling shows Missourians support abortion, minimum wage increase but politicians are bent on having it their way

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Missouri voters are energized to go to the polls this fall to vote on key ballot issues such as restoring abortion access, and providing workers with earned sick days while increasing the minimum wage. 

Springfield resident Dr. Kathy LeMon called this fall’s vote “the most important in her lifetime,” with abortion topping her list of reasons to vote. It would seem that many Missourians agree with her. A poll released last week shows several ballot measures are popular with voters and expected to pass.

However, many politicians vying to represent their home districts in the Missouri State Senate have made it clear that they don’t respect the will of voters and will actively work to ensure the state is ruled by their worldview. 

Jerry Nolte, candidate for State Senate District 17 in North Kansas City, voted to lower Missouri’s minimum wage, overturning the will of the voters in 2008. With a minimum wage increase on the ballot again this year, voters are afraid of history repeating itself.

Joe Nicola, running for State Senate District 11 in Independence, has said he will fight against abortion access as well as eliminating the tax revenues that fund key services such as schools and roads. 

In 2015, the City of St. Louis passed an ordinance to raise the minimum wage; however, David Gregory, running for State Senate District 15 in west St. Louis County, voted to preempt that law lowering the minimum wage for City employees and taking money out of their pockets. Gregory also voted to prevent Missourians from accessing abortion.

James Coyne, running for State Senate District 19 in Boone County, wants to defund local public schools, police, firefighters, roads and more. Although residents in his district depend on these services, his policy proposal demanding the elimination of the state’s income tax includes no alternative revenue sources or spending adjustments, which would make critical parts of the state’s operation impossible. The state’s income tax accounts for nearly $10 billion, about 1/5 of the state’s $50.5 billion operating budget. 

Adam Schnelting, candidate for State Senate District 23 in St. Charles, is endorsed by the Missouri Freedom Caucus and has bragged that he authored the cruel abortion ban currently in place in Missouri. According to the Missouri Independent, State Freedom Caucuses “are proposing conservative legislation and slowing measures they don’t like, even bills that were once considered routine and noncontroversial.” 

“Our legislators are trying to pass bills in hopes of dismantling huge pieces of our democracy,” said Béla Holzer of Elk Creek in Texas County. “It is already nearly impossible to propose a bill or law that actually gets heard by anyone with legislative power.“

Missourians remember when voters overwhelmingly chose to expand Medicaid in 2020, giving health care to thousands. But politicians have spent years trying to dismantle it, denying people the care they were promised. 

“Jefferson City politicians have vowed to destroy the initiative petition process during next year’s legislative session,” said Liz McCune, executive director of Progress Missouri. “So while Missourians are eager to have their voice heard in the fall, they also need to look at who they are electing to represent them. Because many politicians believe they know what’s best for Missourians and don’t respect the will of voters.”

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2024
Contact: liz@progressmo.org

Photo ops and tweets don’t pay Missourians’ bills

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Labor leaders from across Missouri met Wednesday, Aug. 28, to push back against Sen. Josh Hawley’s attempts to rebrand himself as a friend of workers just two months before November’s election.

View or download the full Zoom event

“As Missouri families gather to celebrate Labor Day, Senator Hawley wants you to forget his record,” said Tony Renfro, president of UAW Local 249. “He claims to be ‘pro-labor,’ but his actions speak louder than his empty words. He’s betrayed Missouri workers time and time again.”

Hawley has attempted to raise his profile with labor members over the past year with photo-ops at union events. However, his track record suggests he consistently favors corporations and special interest groups.

“I don’t believe Josh Hawley has been a friend to labor. He’s not a friend to working families. He doesn’t represent the ordinary person on the street — that’s just not who he is,” said Kevin Perkins, who works in Campus Dining at the University of Missouri and is a member of Laborers’ International Union. “You can’t believe a word that comes out of his mouth.”

David Cook is president of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 655, representing meatpacking, shoe manufacturers and grocery workers in St. Louis.

“I remember the picket line at UAW years ago, and he was nowhere to be found. I remember in 2018, as labor was in the fight for our lifetime in Missouri, defeating Right to Work. He was an advocate for that and thought it was good for Right to Work to pass. Now he says he’s against it because he wants to walk on picket lines with a camera present. If he was reelected, labor would be right back there on the chopping block, make no bones about it.” 

Lenny Jones, state director for SEIU Healthcare, or Service Employees International Workers Union, represents 90,000 care workers throughout four states. 

“In our world, actions speak louder than words or visibility stunts,” Jones said. “There have been many opportunities for Josh Hawley to do the right thing through action, and he has failed every single time.”

Those actions include:

1. Right-to-Freeload, Not Right-to-Work: Hawley champions laws designed to weaken unions, making it harder for workers to negotiate fair wages and benefits.
   
2. Minimum Wage? More Like Minimum Effort: Senator Josh Hawley has publicly claimed to support an increase in the minimum wage; however, when it came to a critical vote on raising the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour, he voted against the proposal.
   
   He voted against raising the minimum wage, keeping many workers in low-paying jobs without the prospect of earning a livable wage. 

• In 2018, then-Attorney General Hawley opposed Proposition B, a modest proposal to gradually increase the minimum wage by eighty-five cents a year. He claimed that it would be out of the mainstream, out of step with other states, and “raising the minimum wage [too] quickly.”

3. Hawley’s Stance Against the PRO Act: Hawley consistently refuses to support the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act, legislation crucial for strengthening workers’ rights to form unions and bargain collectively. Despite his claims of being pro-worker, Hawley’s opposition to the PRO Act and his support for right-to-work laws reveal his true anti-labor stance. As the St. Louis Post-Dispatch editorial board stated, “Hawley’s recent claim that the [PRO Act] would ‘hurt workers more than it helps’ is classic anti-labor doublespeak.”
   
4. Hawley’s Callous Cut to Overtime Pay Protections: Hawley supported legislation that cut overtime pay protections for hundreds of thousands of workers, reducing their income and financial security.
   
5. Hawley Voted to Deny Pregnant Workers Basic Protections: Hawley voted against workplace protections for pregnant workers, showing his disregard for workers’ health and safety.
   
6. Hawley Turns His Back on Retirees: The Butch Lewis Act Betrayal
   When it came time to protect the hard-earned pensions of Teamster retirees, Hawley turned his back. His refusal to support the Butch Lewis Act, critical legislation that would have secured these pensions, reveals his true priorities: siding with corporations and special interests over the well-being of Missouri’s seniors.

As Jake Hummel, president of the Missouri AFL-CIO, stated:

“It’s no surprise that in an election cycle where Josh Hawley will face off against an actual champion for Missouri workers, he suddenly finds his way to a picket line. A champion of the ‘Right-to-Work’ scam, Josh Hawley, has always sided with massive corporations at the expense of American workers’ jobs. He’s a fraud who doesn’t give a damn about Missouri workers and only shows up when the camera flashes.”

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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – As Missouri families gather to celebrate Labor Day, Sen. Hawley wants you to forget his record. He claims to be “pro labor,” but his actions speak louder than his empty words. He’s betrayed Missouri workers time and time again.

Hawley’s recent appearances at union events are a desperate attempt to mislead voters. He’s counting on Missourians not noticing that his votes consistently favor corporations and special interests over working families.

WHAT: Press Conference

WHO: Labor leaders from across Missouri, including:

• Tony Renfro, President UAW Local 249
• David Cook, President of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 655 
• Lenny Jones, State Director SEIU Healthcare Missouri

WHEN: 11 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 28

WHY: This Labor Day, union leaders from around the state come together to expose Senator Josh Hawley’s blatant hypocrisy. While he stages photo ops with workers to salvage his image, his voting record reveals a deep-seated pattern of betrayal toward Missouri’s hardworking families.

HOW TO JOIN: Zoom – please contact Liz McCune at liz@progressmo.org for link.

MEDIA CONTACT: Liz McCune, liz@progressmo.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2024
Contact: liz@progressmo.org

Where Missouri candidates stand issues important to working families

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – While many Missourians plan to celebrate Labor Day with barbecues and enjoy the last few days of Summer, for working families Labor Day is a reminder of the ways candidates have ignored them.

In the past 20 years, Missouri legislators have sold out working families by siding with large corporations and extreme CEOs. Missourians have been forced to raise their own wages, protect the state from so-called “Right to Work” laws, and fight back against corporate greed. 

Here are a few ways that candidates running for the Missouri State Senate have turned their backs on working families: 

Jerry Nolte, candidate for State Senate District 17 in North Kansas City, voted to lower Missouri’s minimum wage, overturning the will of the voters in 2008. With a minimum wage increase on the ballot again this year, voters are afraid of history repeating itself.

In 2015, the City of St. Louis passed an ordinance to raise the minimum wage; however, David Gregory, running for State Senate District 15 in west St. Louis County, voted to preempt that law lowering the minimum wage for City employees and taking money out of their pockets. 

James Coyne, running for State Senate District 19 in Boone County, openly mocks working families and families demanding higher wages implying they are freeloaders and dig through the trash. 

Adam Schnelting, candidate for State Senate District 23 in St. Charles, voted against the Federal Reimbursement Allowance (FRA), SB784, to assist local hospitals in providing care for low income families. WIthout the FRA, Missouri would face a $1.5 billion budget deficit leaving thousands of families struggling to find health care. 

Working families keep our state running. A full-time minimum wage worker in Missouri currently makes less than $25,000 a year. Our economy and legislators should reward hard work and not punish people by making it impossible to pay for food, housing and other basics.

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