The 2009 session of the MO State General Assembly kicked off yesterday. During this session, Sen. Matt Bartle of Lee’s Summit hopes the State will approve a measure formerly opposing the federal Freedom of Choice Act awaiting committee approval in both houses of Congress. From an op-ed he wrote last week:

With the legislative session ready to kick off next week, I am preparing to file a resolution of the utmost importance. This resolution makes an emphatic statement to Congress that the Missouri General Assembly strongly opposes any efforts to make abortion the federal law of the land.

Thanks to legislation introduced in Congress in 2007, deceptively coined the “Freedom of Choice Act,” we are in danger of losing all of the safeguards that have been developed over the last 35 years in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s ill-advised edict in Roe v. Wade.

The so-called Freedom of Choice Act would establish an unlimited right to an abortion – during all stages of pregnancy. It would prohibit the state of Missouri from fulfilling its role of protecting all of our citizens – both born and unborn – meaning that all of the carefully drafted protections for unborn babies and expectant mothers in our law would be thrown out…

It would be a tragedy to see these protections dissolved by Congress. Our options as state legislators are limited, but we must do what we can. It is my hope that by passing – with strong bipartisan majorities – a resolution to send to Missouri’s congressional delegation, Congress and the president, declaring emphatically that the Show-Me State supports the right to life for all unborn children and that we oppose any efforts to enshrine abortion on demand in federal law, we will be able to help stop this very dangerous legislation.

Hopefully other state lawmakers will follow Sen. Bartle’s lead and let Congress and the president know where their states stand on this devastating legislation.

Sign the Fight FOCA Petition. We must also encourage our pro-life congressmen to actively and enthusiastically oppose FOCA when and if it comes up for a vote – especially those in the Senate who still have the ability (so far) to filibuster.