San Francisco Chronicle

Judge allows state’s medical abortion rules to stand

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COLUMBIA, Mo. — A federal judge has denied a Planned Parenthood request to block new Missouri regulation­s on abortion that have so far prevented the organizati­on from offering medication-induced abortions at two of its clinics.

U.S. District Judge Beth Phillips wrote in a ruling Monday that the regulation­s “have virtually no benefit” but do not impose enough of a burden on women to be considered unconstitu­tional, The Columbia Tribune reported .

The regulation­s require providers to obtain written contracts with two doctors who have local hospital admitting privileges who will agree to be on call at all times to treat complicati­ons from medication abortion. Planned Parenthood Great Plains and Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri have argued the regulation­s have kept it from getting approval from the state health department to provide medication abortions in Columbia and Springfiel­d. The ruling doesn’t end the case but showed Phillips doubts Planned Parenthood will succeed if it goes to trial.

Currently, medication abortions are available in Missouri only in Kansas City and St. Louis. Phillips wrote that evidence in the case showed the “vast majority” of women who cannot travel to Kansas City or St. Louis will obtain a surgical abortion.

Planned Parenthood has argued that most women prefer medication abortions.

“The court does not doubt this fact; however, for purposes of the constituti­on, women are not necessaril­y entitled access to the procedure that they prefer,” Phillips wrote.

Planned Parenthood sued the state Department of Health and Senior Services after lawmakers enacted new restrictio­ns on abortion in a 2017 special session.

Brandon Hill, president and CEO of Comprehens­ive Health of Planned Parenthood, and Mary Kogut, president and CEO of Reproducti­ve Health Services of Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region said in a joint statement Tuesday that it was troubling the judge declined to stop “this senseless regulation” would allow it to continue even after saying they had virtually no benefit and finding that complicati­ons from medication abortions are rare.

“We will continue to fight for justice and the right for all Missourian­s to access the comprehens­ive sexual and reproducti­ve health care they choose,” they said.

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