St. Louis aldermen say no to protest-free ‘buffer zones’ around health care facilities

St. Louis Post-Dispatch (MO)

April 16--ST. LOUIS -- A controversial proposal to ban protesters within an 8-foot radius of a health care facility's driveway was defeated Monday by the St. Louis Board of Aldermen on a 9-15 vote on the last day of session.

Similar "buffer zones" have been enacted in cities such as New York and Chicago, with backers arguing they offer a clearer avenue to charge those who impede the flow of traffic in and out of facilities such as Planned Parenthood. The Supreme Court has struck down more extreme measures creating zones as wide as 35 feet but has upheld smaller zones such as the one proposed for St. Louis.

But its potential for passage this year was shaky. It won initial approval in February on a narrow 15-13 vote. Two former yes votes were absent Monday, and several others changed their initial vote in wake of concerns that the bill would have unintended consequences on other protesters throughout the city who might march in the streets or block roads to get their point across.

"You can't pick and choose who can protest. It's the First Amendment for everyone," said Alderman Pam Boyd, 27th Ward.

Sponsoring Alderman Christine Ingrassia, 6th Ward, said she felt the plan engaged a variety of stakeholders throughout the region and walked a careful line to protect all involved.

"There's a balance of constitutional rights here. One is the right for free speech, which we want to be able to respect. The other is a right for women to access health care," she said.

Ingrassia said even though the bill didn't pass, the conversation was necessary and will continue into the next session, which begins Tuesday.

Karen Nolkemper, executive director of the Respect Life Apostolate of the Archdiocese of St. Louis, applauded the bill's defeat.

"Our work of prayer and presence will continue because we know that women facing difficult or unplanned pregnancies need real options and support, not abortion," she said in a statement.

But for local reproductive rights groups, Monday's vote marked a missed opportunity.

"St. Louis had an opportunity to prove that cities can lead the resistance against the anti-choice agenda of the Trump and Greitens administrations, but we failed to pass this proactive measure," said Alison Dreith, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Missouri. "Women in St. Louis rely on Planned Parenthood to receive high-quality, low-cost healthcare, and they deserve to access this care free of harassment and deception."

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