Missouri attorney general sues St. Louis to stop taxpayer-funded abortions

Missouri Republican Attorney General Eric Schmitt is suing the City of St. Louis for using taxpayer dollars through the American Rescue Plan Act to find abortions, including travel expenses and other "logistical support" costs.

St. Louis' "Reproductive Equity Fund" violates Missouri state law, the lawsuit argues. 

"As Attorney General, I’ve tirelessly fought to uphold the sanctity of life in Missouri. The move by the City of St. Louis to use taxpayer dollars to help push out-of-state abortions plainly and clearly violates Missouri law," Attorney General Schmitt stated in a press release about the lawsuit on Thursday.

He called St. Louis's support of abortion a "blatantly illegal move to spend Missourians’ hard-earned tax dollars on out-of-state abortions."

The lawsuit comes after St. Louis Democratic Mayor Tishaura Jones signed legislation to create a "Reproductive Equity Fund" last week.

She said the fund will "support residents at every stage of pregnancy with doulas, abortion access through logistical support, and more." 

Schmitt originally threatened to sue St. Louis and Kansas City earlier this month if the cities use taxpayer dollars to help women obtain out-of-state abortions.

After the Supreme Court ruled last month that women do not have a constitutional right to obtain an abortion, Missouri implemented a near-total abortion ban.