Lawmaker pushes new tax for schools that train abortionists

It was tax evasion that took down Al Capone while authorties suspected him of millions of dollars of criminal activities and more than a handful of murders.

Missouri state lawmakers believe a similar tactic could take down abortion, Just the News reports.

They propose a 1.9% tax on the endowments of any university that teaches abortion to medical students, hoping it will serve as a disincentive.

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The report cited two training programs at Washington University in St. Louis. The Fellowship in Family Planning aims to instruct "complex abortion and contraception" practices. And the Ryan Residency teaches students first- and second-trimester abortion.

Republican state Rep. Jeff Shawan recently told JTN the programs are "an abscess on the state of Missouri," and he's planning to propose the taxation program.

It would apply to the endowment of any university that is linked to an abortion facility or provides training in abortion.

The bill was proposed in both the state House and Senate last session but was derailed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The capitol shut down. The assembly was stopped for three weeks. It crushed the momentum of the legislation," Shawan told JTN.

The bill later made it out of the rules committee, but it was crowded out because of emergency legislation.

Shawan, now running for state Senate, says that if elected, he will take it up again.

"I can think of two or three representatives in the House that would also like to carry the very same bill again," he said.

Shawan said the tax is designed never to be collected; colleges and universities can avoid it by not teaching abortion.

If it is collected, JTN reported, it would be offset with a tax cut for citizens, rendering it revenue-neutral.

Washington University officials didn't respond to JTN requests for comment.

Board members told Shawan his plan would do "great harm."

Shawan responded to the board, wondering if the members know "[the bill] seeks to end your practice of destroying babies before they are born?"