The Planned Parenthood clinic in Columbia will begin offering abortions the first week of March.
It marks the first time in nine years mid-Missourians will have access to the procedure without having to drive to St. Louis, Kansas City or outside the state.
The clinic will offer procedural, sometimes called surgical, abortions, said a spokesperson for Planned Parenthood Great Plains, which operates the clinic. Its staff is working through a state compliance process to provide medication abortion.
A clinic in midtown Kansas City began offering the procedure Feb. 15, according to the spokesperson.
A Planned Parenthood clinic in St. Louis, operated by Planned Parenthood Great Rivers, had hoped to start offering medication abortion this week but is awaiting final approval from the state Department of Health and Senior Services. The organization also plans to expand access to procedural abortion at the St. Louis clinic and its four other Missouri locations, according to a spokesperson.
Missouri voters approved Amendment 3, a constitutional amendment, in November enshrining the right to abortion and other reproductive rights in the Missouri Constitution.
“People should have freedom to control their bodies,” said Gary Townzen, who worked on the Amendment 3 campaign in Columbia. “Abortion is health care.”
The amendment took effect Dec. 5, but a slew of laws restricting abortion access prevented clinics from offering the procedure at that time. Planned Parenthood Great Rivers and Planned Parenthood Great Plains are the only organizations with clinics offering the procedure in the state.
A trigger law banning abortion with exceptions for medical emergencies went into effect in 2022, shortly after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, ending the constitutional right to abortion.
Along with the American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri , the Planned Parenthood affiliates sued to block the laws the day after the November election.
Jackson County Judge Jerri Zhang granted some of Planned Parenthood’s injunction requests in December but held out on licensing requirements, which Planned Parenthood characterizes as medically unnecessary. Last Friday afternoon Zhang issued another decision, which blocked the licensing requirement.
“The Court finds the facility licensing requirement is facially discriminatory because it does not treat services provided in abortion facilities the same as other types of similarly situated health care, including miscarriage care,” Zhang wrote in her decision.
Bonnie Lee, who organized opposition to Amendment 3 in mid-Missouri, said the judge’s decision threatens women’s safety.
“We need to do what we can to continue safety regulations for women. Basic, common-sense safety regulations,” she said. Lee is working with Team PLAY, which stands for Prayer, Legislation, Action and You the public, on legislation to restrict the procedure.
Legislative leaders said again this week following the judge’s ruling that they will put another constitutional amendment before voters next year to provide some restrictions to abortion.
“I’m here to tell you the Missouri supermajority of Republicans will not stand for this,” state Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman, R-Arnold, said in a Missouri Independent article. “There will be another option to vote so that people understand this is not going to continue in the state of Missouri.”
