Wrap: St. Louis Democrat Stacey Newman charges House Children Committee's hearing about Planned Parenthood was unneeded.

The Acting state Health Department Director Peter Lyskowski spoke at the hearing about the accountability process behind the transfer of fetal tissue from abortion clinics.

The issue surfaced last year over an edited video featuring a senior director of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, which has since been discounted by Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster.

Newman said the hearing -- to discuss the department's policies -- was held because it is an election year, and there is no fault in the department's current accountability process.

Actuality:	ABORT1.WAV
Run Time:	00:09
Description: "Tell me why we're spending more taxpayer time and money to address things that have already been debunked."

 

Republican Representative Rick Brattin said that the department's current policies dont account for a black market of fetal tissue.

Wrap: Democratic Representative Stacey Newman called out her fellow committee members during the House Committee for Children and Families' Planned Parenthood hearing for using unprofessional language.

Rather than using the medical terminology, some committee members used more informal terms to discuss abortion clinics and their procedures.

Newman said it was irresponsible of the committee this language because it is used to inflame the abortion issue and incite violence.

Actuality:	ABORT2.WAV
Run Time:	00:16
Description: "There is no reason, even after I asked point blank, my own committee today to use accurate medical terminology, they refused, as you saw. Again, they are more interested in inciting than they are responsible."

 

Several bills involving abortion clinics and their procedures have been introduced this legislative session.

 

Wrap: Republican Chairwoman of the House Children's Committee -- Diane Franklin -- spoke out against Missouri Health Department's accountability plan for keeping track of fetal tissue at a hearing for Planned Parenthood.  

Franklin said that there is no way for the Department to know or verify if clinic reports about post-abortion fetal tissue are truthful.

Actuality:	ABORT4.WAV
Run Time:	00:06
Description: "At this point there's nothing that helps us have that accountability that were looking for"

Republican Representative Rick Brattin also said with the Department's current processes there is no way to know whether or not all of the fetal tissue is being accounted for each time.