Story by Sarah Fentem, Chad Davis, Farrah Anderson and Sarah Kellogg at St. Louis Public Radio
Missouri anti-abortion advocates are praising a decision Friday by the U.S. Supreme Court that overturns Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 ruling that legalized abortions across the country.
Immediately after the decision was announced, Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt issued an opinion that effectively enacted a law originally passed in 2019 that would make most abortions in the state unlawful the moment Roe was overturned. The law allows abortion if the mother’s life is in danger but does not contain exceptions to its ban for rape or incest, and it makes assisting in an abortion a felony.
"With this attorney general opinion, my Office has effectively ended abortion in Missouri, becoming the first state in the country to do so following the Court's ruling," Schmitt said in a statement.
The decision follows a decadeslong campaign by anti-abortion groups that have sought to restrict abortion access.
Abortion rights supporters expressed outrage at the ruling, which they said would put women's health at risk.
"And this is a far-right, extremist Supreme Court is making this decision that affects other people," said U.S. Rep. Cori Bush, D-St. Louis County.
"The decision is a discredit to the Supreme Court and to the history of law and order and precedent in the United States," said Pamela Merritt, executive director of Medical Students for Choice. "I think the decision to overturn Roe ... is an extreme overreach of judicial power, and ultimately, this overreach will backfire. But in the immediate aftermath, this decision helps no one. It will not decrease abortion. It simply will criminalize abortion.”
Michele Landeau, president of the Missouri Abortion Fund, which provides support for women seeking reproductive health services, said that she was devastated but that the organization's efforts will continue.
"That’s why the Abortion Fund exists, because Roe has never been enough for a lot of folks, especially folks of color and folks who don’t have any money," Landeau said. "So we are devastated, but we are ready to continue to help people access care in as many ways as we can."
St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones upbraided the court, saying that seven in 10 Missourians support the right to abortion.
"If you’re a Democratic leader who has somehow managed to stay silent on abortion rights, it’s far past time for you to speak out and join together with us in this fight," Jones said in a statement. "Overturning Roe v. Wade was just the first step in a rightwing plot to take away our freedoms, and more attacks are coming."