JEFFERSON CITY - Jay Nixon’s previous decisions not to defend Missouri’s pro-life positions because he is “pro-choice” raise questions regarding whether he will refrain from doing so in the future. A potential lawsuit being considered by pro-abortion forces that would challenge a pending state law requiring abortion providers to comply with new medical and structural standards sets the stage for an interesting political decision for Nixon.

When abortion provider Planned Parenthood told The Associated Press on July 23 that it was considering suing the state over the law that goes into effect August 28, Nixon’s thoughts no doubt rushed to his 1999 decision to turn the defense of the state’s prohibition of state money from being used to subsidize abortions to outside attorney Jordan Cherrick.

“Nixon defended his hiring of Cherrick, saying: ‘I’m pro-choice, I have a conflict’ of interest,” Nixon told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on July 30, 1999.

“Jay Nixon’s pro-abortion positions and his previous admission that they constitute a conflict of interest demands that he publicly declare he will never, ever seek to represent the interests of Missouri’s pro-life majority in court,” said Paul Sloca, communications director for the Missouri Republican Party. “It is in fact in the best interests of Missourians that Jay Nixon make clear today that he would hire an independent outside counsel to represent the pro-life interests of our state because he supports abortion rights and radical groups like Planned Parenthood.”