NARAL Pro-Choice Missouri speaks on Schmitt’s appointment to Missouri Attorney General

ST. LOUIS, Mo. – Tuesday, Gov. Mike Parson announced that he is appointing Missouri State Treasurer Eric Schmitt to replace Josh Hawley as Missouri’s Attorney General.

“Though in most cases we have opposing views on reproductive freedom, NARAL Pro-Choice Missouri would like to see Attorney General Eric Schmitt take strides to make improvements on important issues that will help Missouri women and families succeed,” NARAL Pro-Choice Missouri Executive Director, Alison Dreith said in response to Schmitt’s appointment. “Where Josh Hawley let his constituents down, Eric Schmitt could prove that he cares about the success and health of Missourians by doing something about the thousands of untested rape kits in the state and standing up for survivors of sexual assault.”

As attorney general, Schmitt will have original jurisdiction on abortion laws in the state. Schmitt, who was previously endorsed by Missouri Right to Life in his race for treasurer and established the “Pro-Life Coalition” in 2016, could take this as an opportunity to protect bodily autonomy.

Though Schmitt was treasurer at the time of his appointment, he scored an F on NARAL Pro-Choice Missouri’s Legislative Scorecard in 2016, the last year he served as a state senator from District 15. During his time in the Missouri Senate, Schmitt served on the Senate Interim Sanctity of Life Committee, which investigated Planned Parenthood’s operations before ultimately finding nothing.

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