3 Jun 2025

Missouri Supreme Court Overrides Constitutional Amendment and Blocks Abortions

by Bonnie | | 0

The Missouri state Supreme Court essentially blocked access to abortions, defying a constitutional amendment passed by voters in November 2024.

In November 2024 voters in Missouri amended their constitution to embed in it reproductive freedom, including abortion prior to fetal viability. This ended the state’s criminalization of abortion.

This did not undo a tangle of laws that still make abortions extremely difficult to provide in Missouri. Facilities that offer such services must meet special requirements for the width of hallways, use doctors with admitting privileges at a hospital within a 15 minute drive, make patients wait 72 hours before performing the procedure, and more.

Planned Parenthood has been pursuing legal challenges to such barriers. Jackson County Judge Jerri Zhang issued two decisions, one in December 2024 and another in February 2025, temporarily suspending enough of those barriers to allow resumption of abortion services in Missouri while the case before her makes its way through the court. Trial is set for January 2026.

The state Supreme Court overturned Zhang’s decisions. It ordered her to reconsider the temporary block by applying another legal standard. With her rulings struck down, the right to abortion enshrined in the state constitution by voters is essentially overridden.

Planned Parenthood filed a request with Zhang to re-issue her preliminary injunction, applying the new standard.

Meanwhile, Missouri’s legislature voted to put another ballot measure to the public which would repeal the reproductive freedom amendment and ban all abortions. The measure will go to the voters no later than November 2026, but Republican Governor Mike Kehoe could call a special election to put it in front of voters earlier.

Click here for more details.

Click here to read the constitutional amendment.

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