Judge blocks Missouri abortion ban, other rules after Amendment 3 lawsuit
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) -
A Jackson County judge blocked Missouri's near-total abortion ban Friday following the passage of a statewide constitutional amendment in November.
Judge Jerri Zhang's 22-page ruling temporarily blocks several state laws regulating the procedure. That includes Missouri's law banning abortions except for a medical emergency.
Planned Parenthood sued the state shortly after voters approved Amendment 3 in November, enshrining reproductive rights in the state's constitution. It called for the judge to block multiple laws and rules around abortion. The agency said it hoped to start performing abortions again at several clinics in the state, including its Columbia clinic.
Zhang's ruling also blocked laws banning abortions based on the gestational age of the unborn child, the reason a woman is seeking an abortion and some rules on hospital admitting privileges.
The injunction blocks the requirement that clinics submit tissue taken in an abortion to a pathologist. Women will also no longer need to sign a waiver of "informed consent" before an abortion. The ruling also nullifies the need to wait 72 hours between two in-person visits before receiving an abortion.
Zhang left in place some laws regarding licensing requirements for clinics offering abortion and the need to see the same doctor in person twice for an abortion.
The judge set another hearing for Feb. 27, 2025.
This is a developing story.
