Missouri abortion amendment

The Missouri House is expected to pass a state budget bill that falls short of fully funding public schools. A committee is also slated to advance a proposed constitutional amendment that overturns parts of Amendment 3, the voter-passed measure that enshrined abortion rights in the state constitution.

Planned Parenthood announced Friday that staff had begun offering surgical abortions in St. Louis, but the Missouri health department had rejected a plan that would allow doctors to dispense abortion medications — even though it was similar to what was approved before.

In-clinic abortion care has returned to Missouri for the first time in seven years, but people seeking those services are still learning to navigate the new system. We'll take a tour behind the scenes of one Planned Parenthood health clinic in Columbia.

As Missouri lawmakers enter the second half of the legislative session, they are considering bills to amend or repeal the voter-approved measure that ended the state’s near-total abortion ban. They also must pass a state budget. Plus: Layoffs and court-ordered rehiring have all but paralyzed the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development agency.

The Republican-led legislature is considering changing or repealing some voter-approved measures, including abortion legalization and the minimum wage hike. Lawmakers also need to pass a budget, which may look much smaller than previous years.

Abortions became available in Columbia once again this week. The procedure has been inaccessible to those living in mid-Missouri since the last abortion was performed at the Columbia Planned Parenthood clinic in 2018.

Temporary orders have allowed abortion care to resume in Missouri for the first time in years. But a trial will need to take place to overturn the state's ban permanently.

Law experts say the Republican bill could also open the door to lawsuits against anyone who assists someone in obtaining a “self-managed” abortion — no matter how early in the pregnancy. It's one of the first bills attempting to chip away at Missouri's abortion-rights amendment.

Esta medida llega meses después de que los habitantes de Missouri votaron para consagrar el acceso al aborto en la constitución estatal.

Appointments at the Planned Parenthood clinic in Columbia are not yet available due to doctors’ schedules, but will be in the “next few weeks.” Patients in mid-Missouri have long had to travel long distances to obtain abortion care.

Planned Parenthood Great Plains began abortion care at a Kansas City clinic over the weekend. The clinic in St. Louis will start scheduling appointments this week.

Lawmakers and anti-abortion activists gathered at Planned Parenthood clinics around Missouri just days after abortion services returned. State Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman vowed that "there will be another option to vote" on abortion.