On November 6, 2024, a group of pro-abortion organizations, including Planned Parenthood, filed a lawsuit in Missouri to overturn several state laws that have long restricted access to abortions.
The move came less than 24 hours after Missouri voters approved Amendment 3, which enshrines reproductive rights in the state constitution, guaranteeing abortion access until fetal viability.
The lawsuit targets several TRAP (Targeted Regulation of Abortion Providers) laws that have made it difficult for abortion providers to operate in Missouri.
These laws include mandatory 72-hour waiting periods, strict clinic requirements, and a ban on telemedicine for medication abortions. Planned Parenthood aims to lift these barriers and begin offering abortions in St. Louis, Kansas City, and Columbia by December 5, 2024, when the amendment goes into effect.
The lawsuit also challenges the state’s trigger law, enacted in 2022, which bans abortions except in cases of medical emergencies.
The groups are requesting that the courts lift criminal penalties for providers who perform abortions outside these narrow exceptions, as well as challenge other barriers like the requirement for doctors to have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals.
While abortion-rights advocates are optimistic about the potential legal victories, the process is expected to be lengthy, with further court challenges expected.
The legal battle in Missouri may have wider implications across the Midwest and South, as it could potentially serve as a point of access for those in neighboring states with stricter abortion laws.
