Annual Meeting – Postponed to April 27!
The meeting that was to be at The Heights, has been postponed to Saturday evening April 27, 7:00-9:00 pm. This will be a meeting and a party, open to members only, at a private residence. Bring a treat or a snack, and we will provide the beverages. RSVP to pres@stlau.org to get the address. It will feature an update on our lawsuit against the state of Missouri by Denise Lieberman, AU’s local attorney for the case, and comments by some of the plaintiffs. We will also have a report on the status of bills in the Missouri legislature that impinge on church/state separation.
The business meeting will include an update on our finances, plans for the annual picnic and other activities, and the election of new Board members.
down Missouri’s abortion ban as a clear violation of the Missouri state constitution. The talk wasco-sponsored by us, Women’s Voices for Social Justice and the National Council of Jewish Women in St. Louis. It was an excellent illustrated lecture, with many good questions afterward. A crowd of about 100 attended. The next step is a hearing on November 16 at 11:00 in the Carnahan Municipal Courthouse in St. Louis, where the AG will attempt for the second time to have the suit thrown out. The same judge will be hearing the same arguments again, so we have every expectation of prevailing as we did last summer, but this is Missouri, so you never know.
Believe it or not, the St. Louis Chapter just celebrated its 75th anniversary! We hope you were able to join us on November 1, 2023, at the History Museum in Forest Park. We had a good group of about 75 who enjoyed hors d’oevres and drinks, and remarks from our Chapter President, Cynthia Holmes and our national CEO, Rachel Laser. Ms. Laser summarized the status of our lawsuit against the Missouri law that bans essentially all abortions and celebrated this historic milestone of one of the oldest, if not the oldest AU Chapter in the country.
Our Annual Picnic was at the Shaw Park South Shelter on September 17, featuring “Church and State” editor Rob Boston. We also had music this year! – “Number 9 Coal” played bluegrass and old timey music. Were you there, or were you square?
On Thursday, January 19, AU and the National Women’s Law Center sued the state of Missouri for infringing religious freedom by banning abortions. St. Louis Chapter Board members joined AU President and CEO Rachel Laser and thirteen clergy from six different religious denominations in filing “Rev Blackmon v State of Missouri” in the Circuit Court for the City of St. Louis, asking that the court enjoin enforcement of Missouri’s comprehensive ban on abortions. If you are a member of AU, you should have already received an email about this historic action. More information about the basis of the suit and what you can do are available on the 