May 29, 2020 - Health

Ruling allows Missouri's last abortion clinic to remain open

The Planned Parenthood facility in St. Louis, Mo. Photo: Michael Thomas/Getty Images

Missouri's only abortion clinic can stay open and operating according to a state administrator's Friday decision, the AP reports.

Why it matters: Without the Planned Parenthood facility in St. Louis, Missouri would be the first state in the U.S. without an abortion clinic since the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court ruling in 1974. But the facility was found to have “substantially complied” with state law, according to Missouri Administrative Hearing Commissioner Sreenivasa Rao Dandamudi.

  • Missouri made the case for not renewing the Planned Parenthood facility's license after state officials said that three "failed abortions" there called for additional surgeries while another led to life-threatening complications for the mother.
  • Planned Parenthood challenged Missouri's decision to not renew, arguing the threat of denying the license served as a plot to eliminate abortions in the state. Planned Parenthood's challenge resulted in an administrative hearing last October.

Worth noting: A federal judge in 2019 blocked a Missouri ban on abortions after eight weeks from going into effect.

What to watch: A Planned Parenthood spokeswoman said the decision will mean the clinic’s license is active through May 2021, per AP. It is unclear if the state will go to court to overturn Friday's decision.

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