Andrew Bailey (politician)

Bailey opposes abortion. In 2023 it was reported that he requested the state auditor office to change anticipated costs related to an initiative petition from the original estimate of “no costs or savings” to "in the billions." The initiative petition is one of several submitted with the AG office to protect abortion in Missouri following a state ban. Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick told reporters that while he personally opposes abortion, there is no evidence that it would cost the state money.[6]

On March 7, 2023, federal Brian C. Wimes found a state law, signed by Parson, regulating cooperation with federal authorities on firearms issues, to be unconstitutional as a violation of the Supremacy Clause. Bailey said he would challenge the decision and Republican congressman Eric Burlison denigrated the decision as being understandable supposedly because Wimes was an appointee of President Barack Obama.[7] Disappointed with Bailey's action, Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas said that Missouri officials had hoped, comparing Bailey to former A.G., now-U.S. Senator, Eric Schmitt, that Bailey "...would approach the office like a grown-up."[7]

Lawyers under Bailey's attorney general's office withdrew from a lawsuit related to unregulated slot machines. The plaintiffs, Torch Electronics and Warrenton Oil, have contributed to Bailey's 2024 Missouri Attorney General election campaign. In 2021, former attorney general Eric Schmitt returned contributions from Torch Electronics when conflict of interest concerns were raised, choosing to continue work on the case. Bailey's spokesperson Madeline Sieren did not respond to questions as to why Bailey's office chose to accept the money rather than withdraw from the case.[8]

Bailey supports the lawsuit filed by former AG Eric Schmitt against the Biden student debt relief plan on behalf of MOHELA, a company contracted to handle student loan accounts. A federal judge in Missouri initially threw out the suit saying that the company was too far removed from the state of Missouri for the case to have standing, however federal appeals sent the case to the Supreme Court and froze student debt relief indefinitely.[9] When asked about MOHELA's unpaid contributions to state higher aid funds since 2008, Bailey responded the issue is for the Supreme Court "to sort out."[10] Advocates for student debt relief have argued that MOHELA's revenues would increase should the plan go through.[11]

In April 2023, Bailey released an emergency rule requiring health care providers to screen individuals before providing gender-affirming health care to transgender people. The rule is believed would be the first such ban in the nation as it would apply to adults, rather than just children.[12] The rule would've taken effect April 27 and expired in February 2024. Bailey justified the rule claiming that the medical procedures were "experimental" and required "substantial guardrails."[13] This political intervention in medical care aligned with bills filed in other states, however Bailey escalated the process through his office's authority in Missouri Merchandising Practices Act.[14]

The rule required healthcare providers to document gender dysphoria for a period of three years before prescribing puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones or gender-affirming surgery. Transgender individuals would be required to undergo 15 sessions with a psychologist or psychiatrist over at least 18 months before receiving care. The rule required providers to ensure "mental health comorbidities" have been "treated and resolved." The rule required providers to document that the patient has been screened for autism and social contagion and, for minors, social media addiction.[13]

The rule was suspended while the ACLU, Lambda Legal, service providers, and community members challenged the rule in court. Bailey withdrew the rule in May.[15]