The St. Louis County Council voted 4-3 to approve a resolution last month that condemns the U.S. Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe v. Wade.
The resolution was introduced jointly by Councilwomen Rita Heard Days, Kelli Dunaway, and Shalonda Webb on June 28.
But Councilman Tim Fitch (R-District 3) was one of the three who voted against it.
“As part of that resolution, they said they were going to commit a million dollars of ARPA funds to the cause of allowing women to travel to some other state to get an abortion,” he said.
Councilwoman Lisa Clancy called for $1 million of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to be allocated to nonprofits for the facilitation of transportation and lodging for pregnant women seeking an abortion outside of Missouri, according to media reports.
That’s because Missouri is among the states that have outlawed abortion now that Roe has been overturned.
“They will never be able to spend a penny of anything they allocate to this cause because it's an illegal use of the money and Missouri state law prohibits using any kind of tax dollars for the purposes of obtaining an abortion," Fitch told the St. Louis Record.
Clancy declined to comment.
"It's a misuse of pandemic relief funds because they're upset because the court decision didn't go their way," Fitch said. "They want to try to show their voters that they are doing something about it. It's about generating left votes for the Democrats on the council."
Attorney General Eric Schmitt ordered St. Louis County and other municipalities to follow the law, which states that under the 188.205 Revised Statute of Missouri, it is unlawful for any public funds to be expended for the purpose of performing or assisting an abortion, not necessary to save the life of the mother, or for the purpose of encouraging or counseling a woman to have an abortion unless it is for a medical emergency.
“St. Louis City and County, and Kansas City, and any others who attempt to authorize taxpayer-funded abortions will be met with a lawsuit from the Missouri Attorney General’s Office,” Schmitt warned in a statement online.
Dayanara Ramirez, a spokesperson for the U.S. Treasury, did not immediately respond to requests for comment about whether St. Louis County would face federal consequences if ARPA funds were spent on funding the logistics of securing an abortion.
“For any legislation, there always has to be two rounds of voting of the legislative body,” Fitch added. “The county executive then has to sign it, which he will and once he does, it will take effect in 15 days.”