Rep. Cori Bush pushes for change at Columbia reproductive rights rally

"I'm valuable and I can change Missouri," is the mantra U.S. Rep. Cori Bush, D-Missouri, wanted attendees of Saturday's abortion freedom rally in Columbia at the Boone County Courthouse to walk away with.

"When you all get together, Columbia, and put all that brilliance, beauty, fight and momentum together, you will be successful on Nov. 8 if you decide that," Bush said.

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She is participating in a "Roe the Vote" Missouri reproductive freedom tour, with stops planned next in Springfield, Kansas City, Rolla and St. Louis. She is encouraging people to vote for Democratic candidates who could reverse or prevent further reproductive health-related legislation or change the power structure in Missouri's legislative branch ahead of the Nov. 8 general election.

Speakers Saturday also included Adrian Plank, running for Missouri House District 47; Doug Mann, running for Missouri House District 50; and Bethany Mann, running for U.S. House District 3, which includes southern Boone County. Plank and Mann are part of a group of Democratic candidates looking to remove the Republican supermajority in the Missouri House.

"We only have 30 days to get this done," Bush said. "This supermajority we have in Missouri. We change that. The voters all around this state change that."

Bush had a message for anyone who is scared to run for office, especially those in Republican strongholds who may be worried about repercussions.

"We can't have seats going unopposed," Bush said. "(We need) candidates who will show up, will speak while they are on the campaign trail. ... Fight for what you believe in and if you lose, you went down swinging."

Plank's priorities include addressing SuperPACs and the money they give to candidates, including judges. He also will support reproductive rights, he said, highlighting what John Martin plans on doing to limit rights.

"My goal is to cinch down SuperPACs. They buy our judgeships, our policy, our politicians. That is one reason why rights have been lost," Plank said.

More:Inquiries about birth control and contraception increase at Columbia Planned Parenthood

Democrats in the General Assembly need to build power, Doug Mann said. This includes supporting candidates and showing up at rallies, much like Saturday's, for reproductive freedom, he added.

More needs to be done, he said. This includes "donating time and your money to organizations like Midwest Access Coalition of the Missouri Abortion Fund," and all those eligible need to be registered to vote, he said.

"This is going to take time and it is going to take effort. I swear whether I am in Jefferson City or I am in Columbia, I will be standing right next to you," he said.

Bethany Mann shared more personal experiences about reproductive health. She learned she was pregnant the day before the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization decision was issued by the U.S. Supreme Court. She has a 15-month-old at home.

She's seen rural Missouri hospitals close in the district because, even though Missourians voted to expand Medicaid, legislation has restricted it, she said.

More:How Columbia, state organizations are reacting to Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade

A few months prior to learning of her recent pregnancy, she had a miscarriage and was in the hospital for 10 hours. This was during the middle of a COVID-19 upswing, and four of those hours were spent in a hallway on a gurney while she was attended to and given medicine in hopes of slowing the bleeding. It wasn't, so doctors had to consider a surgical procedure for removal, she said.

"Both procedures now are punishable by five to 15 years in prison and that is ridiculous," she said, saying she will, if elected, vote in favor of the Women's Health Protection Act, codifying abortion rights.

Other local speakers included activist December Harmon, who provided the email address for the Boone County Prosecutor's Office, encouraging those there to email Roger Johnson, county prosecutor, to take a pledge to not indict those who seek or have an abortion.

Evonnia Woods, one of the hosts of Women's Issues, Women's Voices on KOPN, explained self-managed abortion through medication and information resources available through the World Health Organization and reproductive legal helpline, among others.

Karlee Seek, president of the University of Missouri College Democrats, outlined demands students made of the university at its own reproductive rights rally Thursday. These included providing subsidized contraceptives; preventing social justice center censorship; and that the university make a formal statement condemning Roe v. Wade's reversal.

Charles Dunlap covers local government, community stories and other general subjects for the Tribune. You can reach him at cdunlap@columbiatribune.com or @CD_CDT on Twitter. Subscribe to support vital local journalism.

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Cori Bush makes reproductive freedom tour stop in Columbia