Abortions will resume in Missouri after a judge blocked regulations that restricted providers, even after voters approved enshrining abortion rights into the state’s constitution. The Kansas City judge’s ruling last year legalized abortions in the state but kept certain regulations in place pending a lawsuit by abortion-rights advocates. Planned Parenthood argued that the licensing law required medically unnecessary pelvic exams and had strict requirements that many health centers could not meet. The ruling stated that the licensing requirement was discriminatory and did not treat abortion facilities the same as other health care facilities.
The amendment adding abortion rights to the constitution in Missouri did not legalize abortion outright but required reevaluation of laws that had almost entirely banned the procedure. Planned Parenthood and other advocates sued to overturn Missouri’s near-total abortion ban immediately after voters passed the amendment. The Attorney General is fighting the lawsuit.
The ruling is temporary pending the outcome of the lawsuit, and Planned Parenthood is planning to resume providing abortions in the coming days. Missouri is one of five states where voters approved ballot measures to protect abortion rights in their constitutions in 2024. The constitutional amendment in Missouri allows lawmakers to restrict abortion after viability with exceptions to protect the life or health of the pregnant person. This ruling will significantly increase access to abortion care in the state and the region.
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