Missouri bans most abortions after US Supreme Court ruling

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Most abortions are now illegal in Missouri following a U.S. Supreme Court decision that ended a constitutional protection for abortion. A 2019 Missouri law prohibits abortions “except in cases of medical emergency.” But that law had not taken effect because it contained a provision making it contingent upon verification by state officials that the Supreme Court had overruled its 1973 Roe v. Wade precedent. After Friday’s Supreme Court ruling, Attorney General Eric Schmitt and Gov. Mike Parson both issued the necessary paperwork for the abortion-ban to take effect. Physicians who perform abortions could face felony charges punishable by up to 15 years in prison.