Special session set to get underway at noon; Planned Parenthood counters lawmaker claims

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

A special session starts at noon Wednesday with the goal of extending the Federal Reimbursement Allowance, a tax that helps fund Medicaid.

Gov. Mike Parson announced the special session Tuesday after setting a noon deadline to reach a deal on extension of the tax that could be passed during a special session.

Parson said if the FRA is not extended he will cut $722 million in state spending in fiscal 2022, which begins July 1, and another $788 million in fiscal 2023.

A news release from the governor's office said the special session call includes legislation prohibiting Medicaid funding for abortion drugs, devices and "abortion facilities." However, the legislature failed to extend FRA during regular session due to disagreements about whether to fund certain types of contraception and payments to Planned Parenthood.

Republican senators said they want a bill that will not use taxpayers money to fund abortions, while democrats are vowing to block any bill that bans access to birth control.

Planned Parenthood responded to the call for a special session, and stated in a news release that "the proposed bill includes medically inaccurate language deliberately conflating contraception, emergency contraception and abortion."

Planned Parenthood held a call Wednesday before the session began to address the impact of the bill being proposed in the special session.

Watch a replay of the briefing in the player below.

Planned Parenthood officials during the call argued against contraceptives such as IUDs and the morning-after bill being labeled as instruments of abortion -- a key claim by lawmakers seeking to stop the state's Medicaid program from funding coverage of those drugs.