This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/may/31/missouri-abortion-clinic-closure-midnight-judge

The article has changed 8 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 2 Version 3
Missouri could become first US state without abortion clinic at midnight Missouri abortion clinic to stay open – for now – after judge's order
(about 3 hours later)
Missouri could become the only US state without a legal abortion provider on Friday as its only abortion clinic could lose its license to perform the procedure unless a St Louis judge intervenes. A judge has issued an order allowing Missouri’s only abortion clinic to continue to provide the service, just hours before the St Louis Planned Parenthood clinic’s license to perform abortions was set to expire.
The legal battle in St Louis comes a week after the Missouri governor, Mike Parson, a Republican, signed a bill banning abortion beginning in the eighth week of pregnancy, making Missouri one of eight US states that have passed anti-abortion legislation this year. Planned Parenthood supporters gathered outside the clinic breathed a sigh of relief after the ruling from circuit judge Michael Stelzer. He issued a temporary restraining order prohibiting Missouri from allowing the license to lapse.
The threat to abortion services in Missouri came amid a growing push against women’s reproductive rights in the US, fuelled by rightwing Christians emboldened by the Trump presidency.
If the license had lapsed, Missouri would have become the first state without an abortion clinic since the landmark US supreme court’s 1973 decision legalizing abortion nationwide, known as Roe v Wade.“I’m delighted,” said Maude Essen, a St Louis resident who lives a few blocks from the Forest Park Avenue facility. “This gives us a little breathing room.”
She and her friend, Mary Kuc, had stood on a corner near the clinic, where supporters and anti-abortion activists had gathered. A ruling against Planned Parenthood would have “taken us back to the 1970s”, Kuc said.
'I don't feel safe': Alabama newspapers publish letters by women on abortion ban'I don't feel safe': Alabama newspapers publish letters by women on abortion ban
Planned Parenthood filed a lawsuit against Missouri this week after state health officials said the license for Reproductive Health Services of Planned Parenthood in St Louis was in jeopardy because they were unable to interview seven of its physicians over “potential deficient practices”, documents filed in a St Louis court showed. The Missouri department of health and senior services had declined to renew the license. It cited alleged concerns with “failed abortions”, compromised patient safety and legal violations at the clinic.
The circuit judge in the case, Michael Stelzer, was expected on Friday to rule on Planned Parenthood’s request for a temporary restraining order and injunction against the state, according to local media. If Stelzer rules against Planned Parenthood, the clinic’s license to perform abortions would expire at midnight, making Missouri the only US state without an abortion clinic since the supreme court’s Roe v Wade decision in 1973 that established a woman’s right to terminate her pregnancy. The health department is demanding interviews with all seven physicians practicing at the clinic, including trainees. Planned Parenthood, which already agreed to perform an addition medically unnecessary pelvic exams on its patients before an abortion has called the demands “harassment” and an attempt to intimidate providers.
Abortion: Democrats and Republicans whip up voters on extreme state laws Two-thirds of Americans support Roe v Wade, which ensures that abortion remains legal in all 50 US states, but that has not always meant it is accessible.
Abortion is one of the most socially divisive issues in US politics, with opponents often citing religious beliefs to call it immoral, while abortion-rights advocates say the bans amount to state control of women’s bodies. Several US states, including Missouri, have recently passed legislation which would severely limit access to abortion if enacted, though Roe v Wade renders the move unconstitutional.
On Thursday, pro-abortion demonstrators held a rally in downtown St Louis, where police arrested Alderman Megan Ellyia Green and several Planned Parenthood board members during a sit-in at the Wainwright State Office Building, the St Louis Post Dispatch reported. Earlier this month, Alabama’s Republican-controlled state senate passed a near-total ban on abortion, which would make it a crime to perform the procedure at any stage of pregnancy.
Anti-abortion activists say they aim to prompt the newly installed conservative majority on the supreme court to overturn Roe v Wade by enacting laws that are virtually assured of facing court challenges. Speaking before the ruling, Dr Leana Wen, the president of Planned Parenthood, told the Guardian that women’s healthcare is in a “state of emergency” in the United States.
“This is a terrifying time,” Wen said. “We have a situation not unlike a natural disaster, where people’s lives are in danger. Except this is manmade.”
Agencies contributed to this report
MissouriMissouri
AbortionAbortion
HealthHealth
newsnews
Share on FacebookShare on Facebook
Share on TwitterShare on Twitter
Share via EmailShare via Email
Share on LinkedInShare on LinkedIn
Share on PinterestShare on Pinterest
Share on WhatsAppShare on WhatsApp
Share on MessengerShare on Messenger
Reuse this contentReuse this content