Abortion is now banned in Missouri again after the state’s highest court overturned two lower court rulings blocking its abortion ban.
The Missouri Supreme Court ruled a district judge used the wrong standard in two rulings — one in December and another in February — that allowed abortions to resume in the state.
Abortion has been almost entirely banned in Missouri since the 2022 overturning of Roe v. Wade.
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’s abortion ban.
Judge Jerri Zhang ruled last year that the abortion ban violated the state’s 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.
In February, Zhang ruled the licensing requirements were discriminatory and allowed Planned Parenthood to resume providing abortion care.
Missouri’s Supreme Court ordered Zhang to vacate her earlier injunctions against the abortion ban and to reevaluate her ruling using the court’s standards.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri told the Missouri Independent that Tuesday’s ruling was only a “temporary setback” and that the court left the door open for Zhang to issue another injunction to block the state’s abortion ban in the future.
Republicans such as Missouri’s Attorney General Andrew Bailey, who challenged Zhang’s ruling earlier this year, celebrated the Supreme Court’s ruling.
“Today’s decision from the Missouri Supreme Court is a win for women and children and sends a clear message—abortion providers must comply with state law regarding basic safety and sanitation requirements,” Bailey said in a statement.
