Planned Parenthood Takes Desperate Measures In Missouri to Silence the Will of the People

Planned Parenthood Sues Missouri Over "Personhood" Initiative

ST. LOUIS, MO -- Planned Parenthood sued the State of Missouri this week to challenge two pro-life ballot initiatives, in an apparent effort to stifle the people's constitutional right to the ballot process.

One of the ballot initiatives, submitted by Personhood Missouri, states, "Section 35, Person defined. As used in sections 2, 10, and 14 of Article I of the state constitution, the term "person" shall apply to every human being from the beginning of the biological development of that human being."

The personhood amendment, along with another pro-life initiative, were both approved by Secretary of State Democrat Robin Carnahan on October 20th. An amendment much like this one was introduced in Colorado and found to be a single-subject issue, approved by the Colorado State Supreme Court. The Planned Parenthood lawsuit claims that the Missouri personhood amendment did not warn voters of the legal and constitutional fallout if the ballot measure passes.

"The legal and constitutional 'fallout' of a Missouri Personhood amendment, is that all humans in the state of Missouri have human rights," stated Keith Mason, of Personhood USA. "All humans are people, and must be protected."

According to the law, it is not required or necessary for ballot initiative proposers to outline every possible legal scenario if an amendment is passed.

"Our amendment is easy to understand, and simply protects all humans from their biological beginning," stated Dr. Gregory Thompson, initiative sponsor. "The Planned Parenthood lawsuit was quoted in several newspapers as incorrectly using the term, 'fertilized egg'. In fact, at the moment of biological beginning, the newly formed human being is not an egg at all, but a unique individual person."

This lawsuit will cost taxpayers additional funds and use valuable government resources, pointed out Dr. Thompson. He continued to say, "The very organization that uses tax dollars to cause the deaths of millions of innocent human beings and many mothers, along with years of physical, mental, and spiritual pain, is now using government resources again to keep this issue from going to the voters."

"The motivation of Planned Parenthood is highly suspect. This lawsuit addresses a concern about loss of funds, yet Planned Parenthood reportedly brought in over 10 million dollars in 2008 in Missouri alone, and over a billion dollars nationwide," continued Mason. "This is clearly an act of desperation by a billion dollar industry, seeking to keep the issue of Personhood away from the people of Missouri."