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Judge Plans To Strike Down Missouri Abortion Restrictions

Planned Parenthood Great Plains was one of two Missouri Planned Parenthood affiliates that sued to overturn Missouri abortion restrictions.
Planned Parenthood Great Plains was one of two Missouri Planned Parenthood affiliates that sued to overturn Missouri abortion restrictions.

A federal judge says he plans to block Missouri’s abortion clinic restrictions in the wake of a U.S. Supreme Court decision last June.

In a “Memorandum to Counsel” on Monday, U.S. District Judge Howard Sachs said he would grant the preliminary injunction requested by Planned Parenthood, but would give the state additional time to avoid “unintended damage” to standard medical regulations.

RELATED: In The Face Of More Missouri Abortion Restrictions, One Woman Tells Her Story

Missouri’s two Planned Parenthood affiliates sued the state in Novemberafter the Supreme Court struck down Texas restrictions that were nearly identical to Missouri’s.

Like the Texas laws found unconstitutional by the Supreme Court, Missouri requires abortion providers to have admitting privileges at local hospitals and to physically upgrade their facilities to meet the standards of ambulatory surgical centers.

Supporters defend the restrictions as aimed at protecting women’s health. Critics say they’re intended to shut down abortion providers by imposing unnecessary and burdensome requirements.

Sachs’ two-page memo said he had decided to block both the hospital affiliation requirement for abortion doctors and the requirements that abortion clinics meet the requirements imposed on ambulatory surgical centers.

However, he gave the state 10 days to submit a plan to prevent the disabling of other, valid state regulations. 

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Dan was born in Brooklyn, N.Y. and moved to Kansas City with his family when he was eight years old. He majored in philosophy at Washington University in St. Louis and holds law and journalism degrees from Boston University. He has been an avid public radio listener for as long as he can remember – which these days isn’t very long… Dan has been a two-time finalist in The Gerald Loeb Awards for Distinguished Business and Financial Journalism, and has won multiple regional awards for his legal and health care coverage. Dan doesn't have any hobbies as such, but devours one to three books a week, assiduously works The New York Times Crossword puzzle Thursdays through Sundays and, for physical exercise, tries to get in a couple of rounds of racquetball per week.