A judge says Missouri’s abortion ban isn’t enforceable, but there’s no start date for abortions

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — A judge has ruled that Missouri’s near-total abortion ban is unenforceable under a new constitutional amendment. Jackson County Circuit Court Judge Jerri Zhang has issued an order to block many of the state’s abortion restrictions. The ruling Friday (Dec. 20, 2024) comes after a new abortion-rights constitutional amendment was approved by voters. But Planned Parenthood says it still isn’t able to resume providing abortions in Missouri. That’s because the judge has left in place Missouri’s licensure requirements for abortion facilities, which Planned Parenthood says it cannot currently meet. Missouri is one of five states where voters approved abortion-rights ballot measures in the 2024 general election.