Missouri Attorney General Sues St. Louis for Using Tax Dollars to Fund Abortion Travel

Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt (R)

Following through on a statement he made at the beginning of July, Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt filed a lawsuit against the city of St. Louis after it passed legislation that would fund out-of-state abortions.

St. Louis mayor Tishaura Jones (D) signed a bill into law on July 15 that would use $1.5 million in federal tax dollars from the American Rescue Plan Act to create a "Reproductive Equity Fund." The American Rescue Plan Act was written to provide relief funding during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Schmitt filed a lawsuit against St. Louis on July 21 for violating Missouri state law prohibiting tax dollars from being used to provide or assist abortions that are unnecessary to save the life of the mother.

“As Attorney General, I’ve tirelessly fought to uphold the sanctity of life in Missouri. The move by the City of St. Louis to use taxpayer dollars to help push out-of-state abortions plainly and clearly violates Missouri law,” said Attorney General Schmitt in a statement. “My Office today filed suit to put a stop to Mayor Jones and the City of St. Louis Board of Aldermen’s blatantly illegal move to spend Missourians’ hard-earned tax dollars on out-of-state abortions.”

The lawsuit also notes that Missouri law prohibits public employees acting within the scope of their employment from encouraging or counseling women to seek elective abortions.

Unless this legislation is struck down, most of those tax dollars will likely be spent at abortion businesses in Illinois.

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