In a significant win for advocates of abortion rights, a judge in Missouri has recently suspended a licensing requirement that abortion providers claimed was hindering their ability to deliver services.

Following the judge’s decision, Planned Parenthood announced that its clinics would resume performing abortions in Missouri.

“Abortion services are back in Missouri!” exclaimed Planned Parenthood Great Plains, a local affiliate, on their Facebook page. “We look forward to providing essential, compassionate reproductive healthcare at select centers across Missouri.”

Margot Riphagen, the president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Rivers, another affiliate in the state, stated: “Our healthcare teams are swiftly preparing to restart this vital service in the upcoming days.”

Since the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, abortion access in Missouri has been nearly non-existent, allowing several states in the South and Midwest to impose strict bans. However, in November, the residents of Missouri voted to include abortion rights in the state constitution.

Subsequently, the ACLU of Missouri, Planned Parenthood Great Plains, and Planned Parenthood Great Rivers initiated a lawsuit to challenge numerous anti-abortion regulations in the state.

In December, Jackson County Circuit Court Judge Jerri Zhang agreed to block several of these regulations. Nevertheless, she upheld the requirement for abortion clinics to be licensed by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services—a directive Planned Parenthood labeled as “medically unnecessary” in court documents.

Under this previously enforced requirement, Planned Parenthood indicated that it was unable to provide abortion services in Missouri.

“The licensure process was heavily weaponized; the state often caused delays,” Emily Wales, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Plains, told the Guardian in December. “We were forced to engage in litigation just to obtain a license.”

Following this, Planned Parenthood requested that Judge Zhang reevaluate her earlier decision. In her latest order, Zhang deemed the licensing requirement “discriminatory.”

“This requirement does not treat abortion services in the same way as healthcare provided in similar medical contexts, such as miscarriage treatment,” Zhang noted.

It is anticipated that the Missouri Attorney General will appeal Zhang’s ruling.