Missouri senator wants as much attention on Ferguson as abortion
January 18, 2016 By Mike Lear
A state senator criticizes the Republican-led legislature for spending more time on abortion than it has on Ferguson, but a Republican leader's staffer says more hearings on Ferguson are coming.
Senator Maria Chappelle-Nadal
Two legislative hearings were held last week on issues related to abortion. More are scheduled, and this follows a series of hearings during the summer on whether Planned Parenthood is violating the law by profiting from the sale of fetal tissue.
Senator Maria Chappelle-Nadal (D-University City) compares that to a committee formed after riots in Ferguson that met only twice – once to organize and once to hear testimony.
"I wish the amount of time that has been put on this particular issue was also put on the people who have been treated like savages within communities that look like mine and across the nation," said Chappelle-Nadal during a recent Senate committee hearing on an abortion bill.
She also wants more legislative attention on radioactive contamination in her region.
"This legislature … decided not to hear a bill dealing with radioactive waste that I filed, and I have people that are dying every single day," said Chappelle-Nadal.
Chappelle-Nadal told one pro-life lobbyist at the hearing that she and he use the same language in discussing their issues.
"Every single time that I've heard you say something that I feel is an emotional tug for people who are from your position it's the same language that I use for people who are losing their lives and their families in my district," said Chappelle-Nadal. "I think that not giving my district and the problems within urban areas is abhorrent."
The House-Senate joint committee that looked into the state's response to Ferguson is the Joint Committee on Government Accountability. A staff member for its Senate chair, Kurt Schaefer (R-Columbia), told Missourinet an annual report from the committee is in the works and more hearings will soon be scheduled for this year.
Earlier story: our story from the last hearing by that committee on Ferguson, from February 2015
Filed Under: Legislature, News
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