Missouri judge again blocks many of the state's anti-abortion laws

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Missouri justice blocked galore of the state's termination restrictions Thursday, reimposing a preliminary injunction against them conscionable a small implicit a period aft the state's highest court had lifted a erstwhile hold.

The bid by Jackson County Circuit Judge Jerri Zhang said the termination restrictions apt interruption a authorities law close to termination that was approved by voters past year.

Planned Parenthood said the bid clears the mode for it to again supply procedural abortions successful Missouri.

But Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey said his bureau “will expeditiously entreaty this ruling.”

The tribunal bid marks the latest twist successful a multiyear conflict that has seen Missouri plaything backmost and distant betwixt banning and allowing astir abortions.

When the U.S. Supreme Court ended a nationwide close to termination by overturning Roe v. Wade successful 2022, it triggered a Missouri instrumentality to instrumentality effect banning abortions “except successful cases of aesculapian emergency." But abortion-rights activists gathered inaugural petition signatures to reverse that law.

Last November, voters narrowly approved a law amendment guaranteeing a close to termination until fetal viability, mostly considered sometime past 21 weeks of pregnancy. That made Missouri the lone authorities wherever voters person utilized a ballot measurement to overturn a prohibition connected termination astatine each stages of pregnancy.

The authorities Supreme Court ruled successful May that Zhang had applied the incorrect modular erstwhile issuing rulings successful February and December that blocked Missouri's termination restrictions.

Upon reconsideration, Zhang again issued preliminary injunctions against the termination ban. The justice besides reimposed a clasp connected assorted different laws, including a 72-hour waiting play for abortions, galore termination installation licensure requirements and a mandate that physicians performing abortions person admitting privileges astatine definite types of hospitals located wrong 30 miles (48 kilometers) oregon 15 minutes of wherever an termination is provided.

“Abortion is ineligible again successful Missouri due to the fact that voters demanded it and we fought for it,” said Emily Wales, president and CEO of Comprehensive Health of Planned Parenthood Great Plains. “Care starts again connected Monday successful Kansas City."

Planned Parenthood clinics successful cardinal Missouri and St. Louis besides "will enactment arsenic rapidly arsenic imaginable to resume scheduling termination appointments,” said Margot Riphagen, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Rivers.

The lawyer general's bureau said it volition support up the ineligible fight.

“Missouri volition not basal idly by portion the termination manufacture seeks to portion distant basal aesculapian safeguards,” Bailey's bureau said successful a statement. "We volition proceed to uphold the State’s compelling involvement successful protecting women’s health, safety, and informed consent.”

Thursday's bid did not code medication abortions, which stay connected hold portion Planned Parenthood wrangles with the authorities implicit termination regulations.

The tribunal conflict is conscionable 1 portion of Missouri's ongoing termination debate.

In May, the Republican-led Legislature approved a projected law amendment that would reimpose an termination prohibition — but with exceptions for pregnancies caused by rape oregon incest. The measurement could beryllium connected the ballot successful 2026 oregon sooner.

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