More than 1000 Missourians attended the March 7, 2007 Anti-Cloning Lobby Day at the State Capitol building to lobby their legislators in support of HJR 11 and HJR 23, sponsored by Rep. Jim Lembke (R-St. Louis County), and SJR 20, sponsored by Sen. Matt Bartle (R-Lee’s Summit). All three resolutions seek a comprehensive ban on all forms of human cloning.

Participants also lobbied against the sale of the assets of the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority (MOHELA) to provide funding for life science building projects on state college campuses. The MCC and other pro-life groups have expressed grave concerns that this funding will go towards human cloning and embryonic stem cell experiments because of the passage of Amendment 2 to Missouri’s constitution. MOHELA’s historic mission is to provide affordable low-interest loans to college students. In order for the sale of MOHELA’s assets to be legal the legislature will have to approve a statute that allows these funds to be used outside the scope of MOHELA’s mission and directed toward construction projects on state college and university campuses. A recent study called into question MOHELA’s long-term financial viability should the sale proceed.

Archbishop Raymond Burke of the Archdiocese of St. Louis and Bishop John Gaydos of the Diocese of Jefferson City met with legislators from their respective dioceses.

At a noontime rally Archbishop Burke gave the invocation praying, “We cannot give way to discouragement,” he said. “We must be convinced that that the truth will prevail. The truth needs voices.“We are the voices of the truth, and we must continue to proclaim the truth and not give way to fear.”

“May our rally today,” Archbishop Burke prayed, “be the sign of our unconditional and steadfast commitment to safeguard and foster the integrity of human procreation and the dignity of human life from the moment of its inception to the moment of natural death. ... Give us confidence that with Your divine assistance, the victory of life will be won in our state. Make us courageous and make us persevering in our mission as Your ambassadors of life.”

Sen. Bartle spoke at the rally stating that the passage of Amendment 2 had “awoken a sleeping giant” of pro-life Missourians who do not want human cloning in this state. “I am convinced that if Missourians are presented with a straightforward, clear ban on human cloning, Missourians would vote overwhelmingly to ban human cloning!” said Sen. Bartle.

State Rep. Jim Lembke, sponsor HJR 11, is circulating among his colleagues a discharge petition that would force House Speaker Rod Jetton to allow HJR 11 to be debated and voted on in the House of Representatives. He needs 55 of his 163 colleagues in the House to sign the discharge petition for it to take effect.
“We have exhausted every other option we have,” said Rep. Lembke. “Many in the House call this ‘the nuclear option,’ but it’s an option that we HAVE to employ. This issue is MUCH too important for it to be left on the shelf. It’s time to take a vote on this issue. They’ve put it off long enough.”

He urged everyone present to talk to House Speaker Rod Jetton and House Majority Floor Leader Tom Dempsey, urging them to put HJR 11 onto the House calendar for a debate and vote.

“And talk to your own state representative and encourage them to sign this discharge petition,” he said.

He rejected the idea that the passage of Amendment 2 settled the issue once and for all. “Fifty-one percent of the vote on ANY given issue certainly does not mean that the debate ends there — especially when we’re talking about an issue of the sanctity of life,” said Sen. Lembke