Jefferson City, Mo., Jun 8, 2017 / 14:47 pm
Missouri's Gov. Eric Greitens has called a special session of the legislature to pass stronger legal protections for pro-life groups, like pregnancy centers he charged are "under attack" by a controversial St. Louis ordinance.
"Our faith community and volunteers do incredible work to support people in need. And there's few finer examples than the work pregnancy care centers do across our state," Greitens said in a video posted to his Facebook page June 7.
He said his pro-life stand was motivated in part from witnessing "the value of true love and compassion in one of Mother Teresa's homes for the destitute and dying."
The governor's action follows the February enactment of a controversial ordinance in the City of St. Louis which has drawn strong pro-life opposition. Opponents said the law would bar any individual or entity, including Christian organizations, from refusing to sell or rent property to individuals or businesses that promote or provide abortions. It could create the risk of lawsuits for Catholic schools with a policy against hiring abortion supporters.