Judge rejects attempt to keep Columbia clinic abortion license

UPDATE 5:40 p.m.: Federal judge Brian C. Wimes denied Planned Parenthood’s request for a temporary restraining order against the state on Wednesday.

The organization had sought the order as a way to stop the state from revoking its license because the clinic does not have a doctor providing abortions who has admitting privileges with a local hospital. Planned Parenthood had challenged the regulation as unconstitutional, saying it was meant to restrict the legal practice of abortion instead of protecting women’s health, as state officials claim.

In his ruling Wimes said Planned Parenthood had asked the court to stop enforcement of the physician privileges requirement, but the clinic was still running afoul of state regulations because it had not remedied issues with dirty equipment flagged in an inspection last week. Those issues if uncorrected would also be a basis for not renewing the clinic’s abortion license, Wimes wrote.

The clinic’s license expired Tuesday.

ORIGINAL: Missouri is down to one clinic that can perform abortions after the license of another facility expired.

The Columbia Planned Parenthood clinic’s abortion license expired Tuesday.

The Associated Press reported that the site also has not been able to meet a new state requirement that doctors must have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals before they perform abortions. Federal appeals judges ruled last month that Missouri could enforce that rule as of Monday.

A Planned Parenthood clinic in St. Louis is the last in the state that can provide abortions, the AP reported.

Planned Parenthood Great Plains spokeswoman Emily Miller told The Associated Press that the organization hopes the state will issue the Columbia facility another license soon. Planned Parenthood attorneys have asked a federal judge to temporarily exempt the Columbia clinic from the hospital privileges requirement.