Missouri on Friday denied a license for the only abortion clinic in the state amid a legal dispute with the state’s Planned Parenthood division over what officials call “troubling” violations at the clinics.
The Kansas City Star reported that the decision came prior to a court hearing and was announced by a Planned Parenthood spokesperson. The outlet reported that it has no immediate impact because of an injunction that keeps the clinic open.
PLANNED PARENTHOOD PLANS TO DEFY MISSOURI LAW, ENDANGERING STATE’S LAST ABORTION CLINIC, REPORT SAYS
St. Louis Circuit Judge Michael Stelzer had told the state it can’t let the license lapse but must either renew or deny it, and set a Friday deadline.
If the St. Louis facility is closed, Missouri would be the first state without a functioning abortion clinic since 1974, the year after the landmark Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion nationwide.
Missouri’s case for not renewing the clinic’s license includes a claim that three “failed abortions” there required additional surgeries and another led to life-threatening complications for the mother, according to a court filing. The state called the conditions at the clinic “troubling.” – READ MORE