COLUMBIA, Mo. — Abortions are set to recommence in Missouri following a judicial decision that invalidated certain regulations which had limited healthcare providers, even after voters had enshrined abortion rights in the state’s constitution.

The ruling, issued on Friday by a Kansas City judge, follows a previous decision last year that affirmed the legality of abortion across the state, albeit with some regulations still in effect pending the resolution of a lawsuit initiated by abortion-rights supporters.

As a result of the existing regulations, facilities offering abortion services were mandated to secure licenses from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. Planned Parenthood contended that this licensing requirement forced providers to conduct “medically unnecessary and invasive” pelvic examinations for anyone seeking an abortion, including those opting for medication abortions. Additionally, the regulations stipulated “medically irrelevant” specifications for the dimensions of hallways, rooms, and doors.

The plaintiffs claimed that the stringent regulations placed on Planned Parenthood centers were so excessive that “most health centers or doctors’ offices simply do not meet” these criteria.

In her judgment, Jackson County Circuit Judge Jerri Zhang noted that the licensing requirement is “facially discriminatory because it does not equate the services provided in abortion facilities to those offered in other similar healthcare settings, such as miscarriage treatment.”

In November, state voters approved a measure that incorporated abortion rights into the constitution. This amendment did not outright legalize abortion in Missouri but mandated that judges re-evaluate stringent laws that had effectively banned the procedure.

Following the constitutional amendment, Planned Parenthood and various advocates promptly filed a lawsuit against Missouri’s nearly total abortion ban. Republican Attorney General Andrew Bailey is actively contesting this legal challenge.

There has yet to be a response from the attorney general’s office regarding the ongoing situation.

Margot Riphagen, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Rivers, announced that the organization is moving swiftly to resume abortion services in the upcoming days.

“The ruling today reinforces what we have long understood — the state’s licensing regulations for abortion facilities were not aimed at safeguarding patients but rather constituted another politically driven obstacle to deter individuals from accessing necessary care,” she stated.

Missouri is one of five states where voters enacted ballot measures in 2024 to safeguard abortion rights within their state constitutions. Although Nevada voters also passed a similar amendment, it will require a second approval in 2026 to become effective.

This recent ruling acts as a temporary order while the lawsuit from abortion-rights advocates unfolds.

Mallory Schwarz, executive director of Abortion Action Missouri, expressed optimism, noting that clinic partners are poised to start providing abortion services as early as next week.

“This change will significantly alter the landscape for Missourians and the greater Midwest region, granting patients vastly improved access to abortion care that has been lacking for years,” she stated.

The newly adopted constitutional amendment permits lawmakers to impose restrictions on abortion following viability, with exceptions made for “protecting the life or physical or mental health of the pregnant individual.”

In medical contexts, “viability” refers to the stage in which a pregnancy is deemed capable of continuing to develop normally, allowing for the potential survival of the fetus outside the womb. While no specific timeframe is universally accepted, medical professionals typically agree it occurs sometime after the 21st week of pregnancy.

Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in June 2022 that overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling, which mandated a nationwide right to abortion, Missouri was one of the first states to implement restrictive measures on most abortion procedures.