By Jason Hancock
Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey’s contention that a decrease in teen pregnancy could hurt the state financially and politically is “an absolutely insane argument,” his Democratic rival on the Nov. 5 ballot said Thursday.
“Apparently he believes we need more teen pregnancies in Missouri, because otherwise we might lose a congressional seat or federal funding if our population decreases,” said Elad Gross, a St. Louis attorney challenging Bailey. He added: “There’s certainly a lot to unpack there.”
“Apparently he believes we need more teen pregnancies in Missouri, because otherwise we might lose a congressional seat or federal funding if our population decreases,” said Elad Gross, a St. Louis attorney challenging Bailey. He added: “There’s certainly a lot to unpack there.”
Gross was reacting to litigation filed by Bailey and GOP attorneys general from Kansas and Idaho earlier this month seeking to restrict access to the abortion pill mifepristone.
A previous version of the lawsuit was thrown out by the U.S. Supreme Court after it concluded the plaintiffs did not have standing to sue because they couldn’t show they had been harmed.
In order to establish standing this time around, Bailey argues access to mifepristone would lower “birth rates for teenaged mothers,” and thus cause population loss that could result in “diminishment of political representation and loss of federal funds.”
Missouri’s teen pregnancy birth rate has steadily declined over the past several years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, though it still remains among the highest in the country.
Bailey’s litigation, Gross noted, specifically looks at pregnancy rates of 15 to 19 year olds.
“He’s talking about people in some cases who are underage,” Gross said, “in a state where our abortion ban doesn’t include exceptions for rape or incest.”
In Missouri, 15 and 16 year olds cannot consent to sex with someone who is more than 4 years older or who is over 21 years old.
Bailey’s campaign responded to Gross’ critiques by pointing to a 2009 opinion piece Gross wrote for the student newspaper at Duke University where he criticized then-President Barack Obama for appointing so many “czars” to tackle difficult issues.
In the piece, Gross jokinging says that if Obama insists on appointing “a czar for every crisis area, he may want to appoint a Czar of Reproduction” since “more teenage girls are becoming mothers and more children are born to unmarried mothers…. Sounds like a job for a czar!”
“Andrew Bailey has always protected innocent life, while Mr. Gross advocated for Barack Obama to name a federal ‘Czar of Reproduction’ to oversee teenage pregnancies as a solution,” Bailey’s campaign said in an emailed statement. “The death of innocent human life carries a cost that rips the moral fabric of society, and our pro-abortion opponent grossly ignores those costs in favor of extreme late-term and unlimited abortion policies.”
Gross said his 2009 piece was clearly a critique of “big government” and the Obama Administration.
“I didn’t know that Bailey had such a problem with reading comprehension,” Gross said, “but that would explain a lot of his losses in court.”
13 comments:
Why would anyone wish a baby on a teenager?
Why would anyone want a teenager to participate in the murder of her own child?
@1:00 is it really that difficult for you to figure out why a 13 year old may not want to be pregnant?
Abortion is not birth control how can you not understand that.
No body said it was birth control, but it is healthcare. You're saying if you had a 13 year old daughter that was impregnated by rape, you'd just tell her to suck it up and deal with it?
7:53, then they should write the amendment to better define, because the way it is written, it is wide open, it will be birth control for many, that is what I have a problem with.
Less than 1% of abortions are rape related
Less than .5% abortions are incest related.
What I’m telling you is the liberals say it’s women’s health care
It absolutely is not healthcare, 98.5% of women are using it as birth control!!! Call it what it is, I want to murder my baby because I’m an irresponsible person and can’t control my body……
If it was about women’s healthcare why are they closing the planned parenthood I assume they do more than kill babies…. That is there only agenda….
Abortion is murder, that’s a fact.
There are only 2 genders that’s a fact.
Our southern border is a major issue that’s a fact.
The amendment clearly states that the assembly can write and pass legislation for anything they want after fetal viability. Republicans have a super majority, problem solved.
How do I know 5:34 is lying? Because the stat of "98.5% of women are using it as birth control" is very obviously not real.
Does anyone really care what Elad Gross
has to say? Does he look like he is mentally stable, not to me.
Ever notice how the Republicans are just better looking, especially the women. No crazy hair colors, looks like they take at least 1 bath everyday if not more. No snarled faces. No sweat pants or pajamas in public.
Prove me wrong or shut your mouth I do t care either way what your opinion is.
Well, appearance is only skin deep, your ugly goes to the bone.
Cut the insults and nonsense, guys. This is getting ridiculous.
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