JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri abortions were halted on Tuesday following an order from the state’s Supreme Court, which called for a new ruling on a contentious legal situation surrounding a ban that was previously defeated in November.
The state Supreme Court determined that district judges had used improper criteria in their rulings in December and February, which aimed to allow abortions to continue in the state. The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022. As a result, nearly all abortions have been prohibited under the ban that went into effect after that decision.
In a two-page ruling issued on Tuesday, the court ordered Judge Jari Chang to apply proper judicial criteria to overturn her previous ruling and reassess the case. Judge Chang had allowed abortions to resume, believing that the defendants had a strong chance of winning the case eventually. The Supreme Court emphasized that the potential harm of allowing abortions to resume should be considered first.
In a petition submitted to the state Supreme Court in March, the state contended that Planned Parenthood did not sufficiently demonstrate that women were suffering harm due to the absence of a temporary injunction against extensive laws and regulations related to abortion services and providers. Conversely, the state argued that Judge Chang’s decision left women with abortion facilities that were “not functionally regulated” and lacked “health and safety guarantees.”
Some of the existing regulations establish cleanliness standards for abortion facilities and require abortion doctors to have hospital admitting privileges within 30 miles (48 kilometers) or 15 minutes of a specific type of hospital.
“Today’s ruling from the Missouri Supreme Court is a victory for women and children, sending a clear message that abortion providers must adhere to state laws concerning fundamental safety and hygiene standards,” Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey stated.
Planned Parenthood claims these restrictions are designed to complicate access to abortion services. However, according to Emily Wales, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Plains, the organization operates the state’s sole abortion clinic, which has begun contacting patients to cancel abortion appointments at Missouri clinics in Columbia and Kansas City.
Wales described the situation as familiar yet unfortunate for the organization.
“Previously, we reached out to patients in Missouri to inform them that their appointments had been canceled due to political interference, new restrictions, and onerous state regulations,” she said. “It is disheartening to see the people of Missouri in this position again after they voted to guarantee access to abortion services.”
Wales expressed hope that Planned Parenthood would return to court soon.
Campaign Life Missouri Director Samley expressed enthusiasm about the Supreme Court’s order.
“This means our laws protecting life, including the health and safety of many women, are being upheld,” Lee said. “We will have to see how long these protections last.”
Missouri is currently the only state where voters have successfully used ballot measures to overturn abortion bans at all gestational stages. Republican-controlled state legislatures have moved to the courts to block the resumption of abortions. Over 3 months, the amendment was adopted.
Since then, lawmakers have approved another ballot measure aimed at reinstating the ban, with exceptions only for pregnancies resulting from rape or incest, which may appear on the ballot in 2026.
Before Tuesday’s ruling, 12 states had implemented bans on abortions at all stages of pregnancy, while four others had enacted bans that would take effect after about six weeks.
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This report has been updated to correct the judge’s name to Jari, not Jerry.
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Contributions to this report came from Mulbi Hill in Des Moines, Iowa, and Cherry Hill, New Jersey.
Source: apnews.com