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yesterday

Missouri Supreme Court Halts Abortions, Demands Stricter Review of Lower Rulings

By ordering a review of Judge Jerri Zhang’s injunctions under more rigorous standards, the court paused abortion services across the state.

Reproductive rights protesters demonstrate at the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C. on June 24, 2024.
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An exam room at Planned Parenthood Northland Center is used to see patients, but Planned Parenthood in Missouri no longer provides abortions, in Kansas City, Missouri, U.S., October 11, 2024. Amendment 3, a measure that would establish a constitutional right to abortion is on the ballot in November. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/File Photo
TOPSHOT - Thousands of demonstrators march in support of Planned Parenthood and pro-choice as they protest a state decision that would effectively halt abortions by revoking the license of the last center in the state that performs the procedure, during a rally in St. Louis, Missouri, May 30, 2019. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP) (Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)

Overview

  • The court found that Judge Jerri Zhang applied the wrong legal standard in December and February and vacated her injunctions that had temporarily restored abortion access.
  • Planned Parenthood canceled abortion appointments at its Kansas City and Columbia clinics and is helping patients secure care in neighboring Illinois and Kansas.
  • The ruling instructs Zhang to reevaluate the case using a more stringent harm-based test, keeping the ban in effect but preserving the option for future injunctions.
  • Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey hailed the decision as a win for health and safety regulations while the ACLU pledged to seek a new injunction defending the voter-approved amendment.
  • Republican lawmakers have already placed a 2026 ballot measure to reinstate the abortion ban with exceptions for medical emergencies, rape and incest.