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Missouri court ruling could expand abortion access
AP News • • nation
Key Points:
- A Missouri judge struck down multiple abortion restrictions, ruling they violated a 2024 constitutional amendment approved by voters that protects abortion rights until fetal viability.
- The ruling overturns provisions including a 72-hour waiting period and the requirement that the initial dose of abortion pills be taken in the presence of a doctor, allowing Planned Parenthood to resume prescribing abortion pills in Missouri for the first time since 2018.
- The judge upheld the requirement for an in-person doctor visit to confirm gestational age and rule out ectopic pregnancy, maintaining some medical safeguards.
- Missouri was the first state to enforce a near-total abortion ban after the 2022 Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade, but the 2024 amendment reversed this, prompting legal challenges from abortion rights groups.
- Attorney General Catherine Hanaway announced plans to appeal the ruling, signaling ongoing legal battles, while Planned Parenthood prepares to expand medication abortion access in the state.
