Columbia Planned Parenthood supporters join nationwide “Pink Out”

Missouri Planned Parenthood supporters joined a nationwide demonstration Wednesday night.

The “Pink Out The Night Sunset Rally” wrapped up around 9 p.m. at Columbia’s Providence Road Planned Parenthood location. Planned Parenthood clinics in Kansas City and St. Louis held similar rallies.

The organization and its supporters said “Pink Out” is in response to the national health care bill and recent legislation that could affect women’s healthcare and how the organization operates.

Bonyen Lee-Gilmore of Planned Parenthood said the legislation “could include a provision that blocks Medicaid patients from accessing Planned Parenthood health centers.”

“We’ve got the whole life span covered out here protesting, because that’s who supports Planned Parenthood,” said community advocate Chimene Sehwach. “Families, women, men, and people of all socioeconomic backgrounds.”

Wednesday’s rally also came one day after the Missouri House made amendments to SB 5 during the special session, which includes stricter regulations on abortion clinics.

State Rep. Diane Franklin (R-Camdenton) said the approved changes would “better ensure the health and safety of women by putting common sense safety requirements in place for abortion clinics.”

Franklin also said, “House members strengthened the version of SB 5 that was sent over from the Senate by adding several provisions that were originally called for by Governor (Eric) Greitens but stripped out during Senate debate.”

On the other side of the issue, State Rep. Stacey Newman (D-Richmond Heights) said, “As the senior Democrat on the House committee which has heard bills for the extraordinary session specifically on abortion, I am appalled and angry we are spending over $20,000 a day, seven days so far and counting, to punish women and pass unconstitutional bills just because of the governor’s agenda for higher political office.”

The bill now returns to the Senate.