1 of 2 | Women in Missouri are expected to have access to abortion services within days, after a circuit court judge ruled business licenses imposed by the state on Planned Parenthood clinics were too onerous. File Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI |
License PhotoFeb. 15 (UPI) — Women in Missouri are expected to again have access to abortion services within days, after a circuit court judge ruled business licenses imposed by the state on Planned Parenthood clinics were too onerous.
“The Court finds the facility licensing requirement is facially discriminatory because it does not treat services provided in abortion facilities the same as other types of similarly situated health care, including miscarriage care,” Jackson County Circuit Court Judge Jerri Zhang wrote in her three-page ruling.
Zhang found the business licenses imposed on clinics to freely operate violated parts of Missouri’s state constitution and did not treat the facilities in the same manner as other medical institutions.
This past November, people in Missouri voted to amend the state constitution and protect abortion rights. Amendment 3 overturned a ban on ending a pregnancy that went into effect after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the federal right to abortion in 2022.
Arizona also overturned an abortion ban in November, and previously voters rejected bans in Ohio and Kansas. Proposed protective measures in Florida, Nebraska and South Dakota did not pass in November.
Near total abortion bans are in 11 states.
Despite the vote, clinics did not immediately begin offering abortion services as the state laws – including the business licenses – created hurdles.
“Today’s decision is a triumph for all Missourians: for the voters who demanded their rights, for the medical providers we trust to provide care, and most importantly, for patients who will now be able to receive high-quality care without fear,” President and CEO of Comprehensive Health of Planned Parenthood Great Plains Emily Wales said in a statement to the Kansas City Star.
“Abortion care will be restored immediately. The people voted, the court responded, and we will do our part: serving Missourians in their home state.”
It remains to be seen how higher courts will treat Zhang’s ruling and the issue could very well end up in the Supreme Court of Missouri.
