St. Louis to help women get out-of-state abortion access

St. Louis has joined the growing list of Democrat-led cities seeking to help women gain abortion access, even in red states that have largely banned the procedure.

Not long after Democratic Mayor Tishaura Jones on Thursday signed a measure providing $1 million for travel to abortion clinics in other states, Republican Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt sued to stop what he called a "blatantly illegal move to spend Missourians’ hard-earned tax dollars on out-of-state abortions.”

The give-and-take is emblematic of city versus state battles playing out across the U.S. since June, when the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade prompted several states, including Missouri, to ban most abortion procedures. The Missouri law prohibits abortions except in a medical emergency.

Democrat-led local government leaders in otherwise conservative states have fought back.

Like St. Louis, the city of Cleveland plans to help with logistics costs. Mayor Justin Bibb announced this week that he’s working with the City Council on legislation to create a $100,000 “Reproductive Freedom Fund” to help pay for travel and lodging for Cleveland residents and city employees seeking a legal abortion in another state.

Days after the Supreme Court decision, Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval said the city would provide travel reimbursement for city employees who have to leave Ohio for abortions. The City Council in Kansas City, Missouri, approved a similar plan, also in June. Schmitt has threatened to sue Kansas City, too.

City councils in places such as Austin, Texas, and Nashville have passed measures urging law enforcement not to prioritize abortion ban enforcement, and other cities are weighing similar proposals.

In Louisiana, members of the State Bond Commission voted this week to withhold a $39 million non-cash...