ST. LOUIS 鈥 The Board of Aldermen on Friday gave final approval to spending $1 million in federal money to help 狐狸视频 women get abortions in Illinois and other states where the practice remains legal.
鈥淭his is an opportunity for 狐狸视频 to lead, to show that we are not interested in backing down鈥 after the recent Supreme Court reversal of the Roe v. Wade decision, said the bill鈥檚 sponsor, Alderman Annie Rice, 8th Ward.
Shortly after the board鈥檚 15-8 vote, Attorney General Eric Schmitt鈥檚 office reiterated his intention to file a lawsuit to challenge the measure.
Opponents on the board repeated complaints that additional American Rescue Plan Act money assigned in the bill to other city Health Department purposes could be delayed by a lengthy court battle over the abortion-related money.
That includes $1.64 million for additional COVID testing, treatment and vaccination at local health clinics and $500,000 for a new round of $100 gift cards to be used as an incentive to obtaining coronavirus shots.
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鈥淚 don鈥檛 understand a strategy of putting at risk any ARPA funds that I want to see in my community,鈥 said Alderman Sharon Tyus, 1st Ward.
Tyus, an abortion rights supporter herself, said the abortion-related money should have been split off into a separate bill.
Opponents also said the city shouldn鈥檛 allocate money for such activity when it鈥檚 had problems providing some basic services lately.
鈥淲e鈥檝e got potholes, we don鈥檛 have (enough) police, our trash is not being picked up,鈥 complained Alderman Joe Vaccaro, 23rd Ward. 鈥淚s it proper to tie this money up in court?鈥 Last week he called the bill 鈥渁 political stunt.鈥
The abortion access money would go to a new Reproductive Equity Fund in the Health Department, which would contract with private groups to spend the funds.
The money could be used for transportation, child care and other logistical help for women getting abortions outside Missouri, where a state ban on nearly all abortions was activated by the Supreme Court decision.
Rice has said most such women getting such assistance likely would go to abortion facilities in nearby Fairview Heights and Granite City but that because of increased demand recently, it鈥檚 possible they may have to travel farther.
The new city fund also would get $500,000 for other reproductive health services such as access to doulas and lactation support and $250,000 for administrative oversight and evaluation.
Mayor Tishaura O. Jones has said she will sign the bill and that it鈥檚 among several measures passed Friday that 鈥渨ill help make 狐狸视频 a safer, stronger and fairer city.鈥
Also applauding the board鈥檚 action was Yamelsie Rodriguez, president and CEO of the local Planned Parenthood affiliate, which operates one of the Metro East facilities.
鈥満晔悠礱ns need abortion access logistics help, postpartum support and assistance at every stage of pregnancy now more than ever,鈥 she said. She said the bill will 鈥渉elp curb the impending public health crisis.鈥
Sam Lee, director of Campaign Life Missouri, said the measure 鈥渋s clearly unlawful鈥 and 鈥渁n affront to the taxpayers of Missouri who do not want to be forced to assist or participate in abortion in any manner.鈥
Schmitt, the attorney general, has cited a state law prohibiting public money from being used for 鈥減erforming or assisting an abortion鈥 not needed to save the mother鈥檚 life.
Rice, the bill鈥檚 sponsor, contended during the board鈥檚 videoconference meeting that the state law cited by Schmitt doesn鈥檛 apply to federal funds. And even if it does, she said, the word 鈥渁ssist鈥 means helping with the abortion procedure itself.
Tyus disagreed. 鈥淎ssisting, for me, is a great amount of things, including transportation,鈥 she said.
The bill passed with the minimum amount of favorable votes needed, 15. Casting a key 鈥測es鈥 vote was Jimmy Lappe, who was just elected 11th Ward alderman in a special election on Tuesday.
Alderman Jack Coatar, 7th Ward, who voted for the bill last week when it was given preliminary approval, didn鈥檛 take part in Friday鈥檚 meeting following the birth of his son Thursday.
Joining Tyus and Vaccaro in voting against the bill were acting board president Joe Vollmer; Brandon Bosley, 3rd Ward; Dwinderlin Evans, 4th Ward; Carol Howard, 14th Ward; Tom Oldenburg, 16th Ward, and Pam Boyd, 27th Ward. Voting 鈥減resent鈥 was Marlene Davis, 19th Ward.
Other spending OK鈥檇
Aldermen on Friday also approved other bills allocating federal pandemic aid.
Among the outlays are $35 million for emergency rental assistance, $10 million to expand violence prevention programs to additional city neighborhoods and $3.6 million on youth programs.
Agency to probe alleged police misconduct
Aldermen also voted 17-3 to pass legislation setting up a new civilian agency to investigate allegations of police misconduct. (A separate story is posted here.)听
Updated at 4:50 p.m. Friday, July 15.