Missouri court voids abortion limits, pill abortions

A Missouri judge has struck down dozens of state laws restricting abortion, clearing the way for clinics to resume providing medication abortions for the first time in years. The ruling, issued Thursday by Jackson County Circuit Judge Jerri Zhang, found that approximately 40 state laws conflicted with a constitutional amendment guaranteeing reproductive freedom that voters approved in 2024.

The decision represents a significant victory for abortion rights groups, including Planned Parenthood and the American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri, which filed suit in late 2024 arguing that the web of restrictions passed by the Republican-led legislature over decades thwarted the will of the voters. The 2024 amendment established a fundamental right to reproductive freedom and barred state interference.

Judge Zhang’s final ruling overturned a series of provisions, including a 72-hour waiting period requiring two separate in-person doctor visits and a mandate that the first dose of abortion pills be taken in a doctor’s presence. However, she left in place requirements that abortions be performed by physicians and that patients have an initial in-person examination to confirm...