St. Louis Mayor approves ordinance to make city 'sanctuary' for abortion

The mayor of St. Louis, Missouri has approved a bill that would amend its nondiscrimination ordinance to include protections for women who have had abortions in the past.

Board Bill 203, which was passed by the St. Louis Board of Aldermen on a 17–10 vote last Friday, was signed by St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay, according to St. Louis Review.

The ordinance would prohibit employers or housing providers from rejecting prospective employees or tenants who have made decisions related to abortion, birth control or artificial reproduction services.

Several board members opposed the bill, saying it is a solution to a problem that does not exist and causes unnecessary divisiveness.

The Archdiocese of St. Louis, one of the opponents of the ordinance, is expected to file a lawsuit to challenge the measure. Archbishop Robert J. Carlson has said that the archdiocese and its affiliated agencies will not comply with the ordinance.

"I am outraged that the City of St. Louis Board of Aldermen has now enshrined into law an ordinance which creates a 'sanctuary' for the despicable practice of abortion," said Carlson. "In other words, the laws of the City of St. Louis now actively protect and promote the killing of unborn children," he added.

While the bill provides limited exemptions for religious institutions, it does not have protections for individual business owners who might have objections based on their religious beliefs.

Alderman Larry Arnowitz said that he voted against the bill because he received 26 letters from people from his ward asking him to oppose the measure while he received only three postcards from people telling him to support it.

Alderwoman Marlene Davis, who said that she supports keeping abortion legal, cited the problems the measure causes the archdiocese and other religious groups, saying it "opens a can of worms" that is not necessary.

The bill's sponsor, alderwoman Megan Green, argued that the measure is necessary to prevent employers from firing workers for having an abortion.

"Employers can have their own beliefs. But they shouldn't be able to impose those beliefs on people or fire someone because of those beliefs," she said.

Missouri lawmakers are currently considering a bill that could have an impact on Green's bill.

House Bill 174, sponsored by Rep. Tila Hubrecht (R-Dexter), would protect the free speech rights of alternative-to-abortion agencies such as pregnancy resource centers and maternity homes. Deacon Sam Lee, a pro-life lobbyist with Campaign Life Missouri, said the Hubrecht's bill would protect such agencies as well as individuals who do not want to participate in abortion.