In November 2024, voters in Missouri passed a constitutional amendment stating abortion is a fundamental reproductive right not to be interfered with.
Since then, court battles have determined whether or not the existing laws regulating abortion could stay in effect.
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In December 2024, Planned Parenthood sought an injunction against current Missouri laws restricting abortion, and Jackson County Judge Jerri Zhang ruled in favor of Planned Parenthood in most — but not — aspects of the abortion laws. Judge Zhang ruled that several laws were no longer enforceable due to the amendment, such as:
- The total abortion ban
- The 18-week ban
- The 14-week ban
- The 8-week ban
- The reasons ban (prohibiting women from getting an abortion if they stated the reason was because their child had Down Syndrome)
- The 72-hour waiting period
- The informed consent law
- The law stating the prescribing physician had to be present for a woman taking abortion drugs
- Any criminal penalties associated with abortion
Judge Zhang did not, however, place an injunction against the licensing requirements for Missouri abortion providers at that time.
Instead, in February 2025, Planned Parenthood tried again to gain an injunction against the licensing requirements. This time, they won, which allowed abortion on demand in Missouri until about 24 weeks.
However, these rulings have not gone unchallenged. The Missouri state Attorney General, Andrew Bailey, challenged these rulings with the State Supreme Court. The Missouri Supreme Court overturned the injunctions on May 27, 2025. Now, abortion bans, licensing regulations, and safety laws are in place in Missouri once more.
The Missouri Independent reports, “A decade ago, more than 5,000 abortions were performed in Missouri, according to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. By 2020, when abortions were still legal, that number fell to 167, a drop that abortion providers attributed to the state’s growing list of regulations.”
It is clear that pro-life laws regulating abortion work to actually reduce abortion. Imagine that.
However, the future of pro-life laws in Missouri is unclear. There are still many moving parts to consider, and the dust is not yet settled from the constitutional amendment vote that kicked this series of events off.
For example, the State Supreme Court only lifted the injunctions because the previous rulings were based on the wrong standard. This means the judges involved in the injunctions could potentially reinstate them as long as they follow the higher standard of law the State Supreme Court laid out for them.
Additionally, the State Court Report tells us, “A trial over the constitutionality of Missouri’s abortion restrictions is scheduled for 2026.”
And finally, a ballot initiative that would repeal the very broad right to an abortion in the constitution and only allow a few exceptions will be presented to voters no later than November 2026.
You can read the full text of the House Joint Resolution here, but in part, it states,
“An abortion may be performed or induced upon a woman in cases of medical emergency, fetal anomaly, rape, or incest. In the case of abortions performed or induced in cases of rape or incest, the abortion may be performed or induced no later than twelve weeks gestational age of the unborn child.”
Tweet This: Missouri’s abortion battle is one to keep an eye on in the coming year.
Governor Mike Kehoe could allow a special election to take place sooner for this ballot initiative, as well.
While loud abortion activists act like not having a right to an abortion harms a woman, the reality of abortion in Missouri proves otherwise.
Planned Parenthood of St. Louis alone has been repeatedly shown to be dangerous to women as well as their unborn children.
Planned Parenthood of St. Louis was sued for medical malpractice by Katherine Quaka in 2014.
She stated that her treatment by Planned Parenthood during an abortion caused her to have, “a severe infection that substantially jeopardizes her health including her ability to become pregnant and bear a child.”
Her cervix was lacerated during a surgical abortion procedure which led to an infection. Planned Parenthood failed to inform her before sending her home of activities to avoid so she would not get an infection, and also wrongly diagnosed her when she had a follow-up appointment for pain, bleeding, and high fever.
In 2019, Maureen Peal filed against Planned Parenthood of St. Louis because she ended up having three D&C procedures for a single abortion.
She initially went in for an abortion around 10 weeks. A D&C was done, but it was unsuccessful because she went in a month later and found out she was still pregnant, and now 15 weeks along. She had another surgical abortion, but this time her uterus was infected, and she had to go to the hospital to receive antibiotics and a third D&C procedure to treat the infection.
The Hope Clinic and Planned Parenthood in St. Louis have multiple documents showing their long history of failing women.
With such deficits in basic safety, medical hygiene, and follow-up care, how one can advocate for abortion in Missouri is beyond me. Not only are tiny humans killed by these abortion providers, but women are irreparably harmed.
Attorney General Bailey said of the Supreme Court decision lifting the injunction, “This ruling is a win for common sense, for basic medical safety, and for the sanctity of human life. We will continue to hold Planned Parenthood accountable, and we will always fight to protect women, children, and the rule of law.”
Add to all this the fact that at press time the ACLU of Missouri had sued to block the proposed constitutional amendment banning most abortion from making it to the statewide ballot next year, and Missouri’s abortion battle is one to keep an eye on in the coming year.
