The halls of the Missouri Capitol looked a bit like a scene from the hit Hulu series "The Handmaid’s Tale" on Thursday morning, as more than a dozen women dressed in red robes and white bonnets visited the offices of lawmakers.
The group, organized by Planned Parenthood Advocates in Missouri, was protesting two House budget bills that would restrict care at Planned Parenthood health centers. The bills would prevent patients insured through MO HealthNet, Missouri’s Medicaid program, from using their insurance at Planned Parenthood or other health facilities that provide abortion services.
The bills, sponsored by Rep. Scott Fitzpatrick, R-Barry, were among 13 bills that passed Wednesday as part of the state’s $28-billion budget. The governor now has until June 30 to sign the 13 budget bills into law.
Similar protests inspired by "The Handmaid's Tale" have taken place across the country in recent years. It's the second year in a row that the group has held a silent protest at the Missouri Capitol.
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