Posted on 07/08/2025 5:49:39 AM PDT by Morgana
A Missouri judge ruled Thursday that the state cannot enforce several laws regarding abortion — including a law restricting most abortions, a 72-hour waiting period, and a law requiring abortion facilities to meet special licensing requirements. With the ruling, abortions — which had largely been paused — are set to resume in the state.
The state Supreme Court had lifted the judge’s previous injunction.
Key Takeaways:
* Circuit Court Judge Jerri Zhang’s ruling blocked state enforcement of a waiting period law and laws meant to ensure that abortion facilities meet specific licensing requirements.
* Her ruling re-imposes a preliminary injunction on the laws after the state Supreme Court lifted her previous injunction last month.
* Zhang’s ruling is the third time she has ruled that the state must forego its abortion restrictions due to the passage of Amendment 3, which made abortion a constitutional ‘right’ in the state.
* Some of the state’s abortion facilities have announced they will resume committing abortions on Monday.
The Details:
Zhang ruled Thursday that the voter-approved constitutional amendment declaring abortion as a constitutional “right” trumps any laws meant to regulate abortion in the state, including a 72-hour waiting period law, laws requiring abortion facilities to meet safety standards, and requirements that abortionists must have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals.
With the rules no longer enforced, abortionists in the state are set to resume business.
“Abortion is legal again in Missouri because voters demanded it and we fought for it,” Emily Wales, the president and CEO of Comprehensive Health of Planned Parenthood Great Plains, said in response to Zhang’s ruling. “Care starts again on Monday in Kansas City. We’re not stopping until every Missourian can get the care they need, close to home.”
The Backstory:
Since Missouri voters approved Amendment 3 in November 2024, the state has been involved in a number of back-and-forth legal skirmishes with the abortion industry. The state has hoped to retain some semblance of protections for preborn children and women, as abortion advocates are for abortion with no strings attached.
The ruling marks the third time Zhang has used the amendment to overturn preborn protections, previously blocking the laws in December 2024 and February 2025.
In May, the Missouri Supreme Court ruled that Zhang had used the wrong standard in her rulings to overturn the state’s abortion restrictions. The court ordered Zhang to vacate her rulings, which put the abortion restrictions back in effect and caused state abortion facilities to halt operations.
According to CBS News, Zhang’s “reconsidered” her rulings per the court’s directive and then reissued the preliminary injunctions again, citing the passage of Amendment 3 in her reasoning.
While she overturned most abortion restrictions, she did keep in place a law outlawing distribution of the abortion pill in the state.
The Bottom Line:
Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey said his office “will expeditiously appeal this ruling.”
“We respectfully but firmly disagree with the Court’s decision to once again block the enforcement of Missouri’s duly enacted health and safety regulations,” the statement read. “These requirements were designed to ensure that women receive care in sanitary conditions from qualified professionals, with emergency safeguards in place.”
“Missouri will not stand idly by while the abortion industry seeks to strip away basic medical safeguards,” Bailey’s office added. “We will continue to uphold the State’s compelling interest in protecting women’s health, safety, and informed consent.”
The Democrat version of Democracy.
We had the same thing in North Dakota: an activist judge that was a big fan of abortion. He was retiring so he didn’t fear any consequences. Dobbs allowed for the state to return to its stated ban on abortion, but this single prick went back-and-forth with the legislature and supreme court to impose his will on the state. He finally retired and North Dakotans no longer allow the killing of innocent children.
Dems are master strategic wordsmiths. They inserted a proposal in election ballots which made it sound reasonable to allow abortions, because only big meanies forbid abortion.
Voters fell for the scam.
Then came the Hey, wait, hold on reaction.
This is state issue. No judge has standing to overrule laws legally passed by the state legislature and signed into law by it’s governor. Arrest the judge.
So, you have to wait for an evil, leftist, murder supporting judge to retire, before the STATE laws can be enforced??
Exactly what I was wondering, in my post 7.
Seems that way. He was a state judge too. Should have been impeached in disgrace but legislators, federal or state, are famous for their lack of testicular fortitude.
You flunked high school civics class or received a law degree from Sudan. Back to school for you.
"Stupid voters"
Abortion rights laws have passed by voter referendum in every state they've been put on the ballot, including even the reddest states.
This judge is just doing what the voters of Missouri voted for
Whatever happened to *We the People*???
I thought democrats were in favor of democracy.
But instead, they want what they want and public wishes be damned.
Has anyone else noticed that the same people who march around holding up coat hangers, are also the ones who fight every law to guarantee clinics being clean and safe? Here in Indiana a few years ago PPH fought in court and won to stop a law requiring clinics to meet the same standards as veterinary clinics and nail salons. That’s how much women’s health means to these people.
That’s how much women’s health means to these people.
*********
Life is ever changing, be it good or bad.
Make the best of your three score & ten
A Missouri judge ruled Thursday that the state cannot enforce several laws regarding ‘guns’ — including a law restricting most ‘guns’, a 72-hour waiting period, and a law requiring ‘FFL and websites’ to meet special licensing requirement.
Except in the gun’s case it is not killing people - people kill people; the act of killing is protected by this (and all other) judges/voters/supporters/elected officials in this manner.
I must have read it wrong. Does it say “We the judges”?
Not last I looked.
They’re just a lot of frustrated, wannabe dictators.
If the state supremos said “no”, then state police need to step in and disable every abortion center. Site RICO laws.
Point of fact, Missouri voters, in their wisdom, narrowly approved an amendment to the state’s constitution establishing abortion as a right. So babies are going to die.
Why a state constitution can be amended by 50% + 1 of voters participating doesn’t seem right to me. There should have to be overwhelming support.
Not correct. Abortion initiatives (financed by the usual out of state liberals) failed in several states last fall. Missouri Amendment 3 was allowed for voting despite failing to meet standards for state constitutional amendments. It did not meet language requirements, was extremely deceptive, and mostly financed out of state with tens of millions of deceptive ads. We will again vote on it.
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