Abortion is now banned in Missouri again after the state\u2019s highest court overturned two lower court rulings blocking its abortion ban. <\/p>\n
The Missouri Supreme Court ruled a district judge used the wrong standard in two rulings \u2014 one in December and another in February \u2014 that allowed abortions to resume in the state<\/a>. \u00a0<\/p>\n Abortion has been almost entirely banned in Missouri since the 2022 overturning of Roe v. Wade. <\/p>\n Missourians narrowly passed a ballot measure last November enshrining the right to an abortion until about 24 weeks of pregnancy. This allowed Planned Parenthood to file a lawsuit challenging the state\u2019s abortion ban.<\/p>\n Judge Jerri Zhang ruled last year that the abortion ban violated the state\u2019s constitution, but then left some restrictions preventing some abortions from resuming. Those restrictions included a requirement that abortion facilities be licensed by the state of Missouri, that patients must undergo an in-person visit to receive abortion medication and that only physicians could perform abortions.<\/p>\n In February, Zhang ruled the licensing requirements were discriminatory and allowed Planned Parenthood to resume providing abortion care. \u00a0<\/p>\n Missouri\u2019s Supreme Court ordered Zhang to vacate her earlier injunctions against the abortion ban and to reevaluate her ruling using the court\u2019s standards. <\/p>\n