Supreme Court ruling throws Missouri abortion laws into question

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A U.S. Supreme Court ruling Monday that struck down some Texas abortion regulations could mean similar Missouri laws are upended.

The nation's highest court ruled 5-3 the Texas laws are medically unnecessary, and they unconstitutionally limit women's abortion rights.

Missouri has similar laws requiring clinics to meet hospital-like standards and abortion doctors to have privileges at nearby hospitals, the loss of which meant an end to medication-induced abortions at Columbia's Planned Parenthood clinic last year.

Spokeswoman Nanci Gonder said Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster's office is reviewing the ruling.

Missouri Planned Parenthood officials applauded the Supreme Court's decision but said it's unclear whether additional legal action will be necessary to try to invalidate state laws.

"Our interpretation today is that it's too soon to get the full consequences of this ruling," said Mary Kogut, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri. "We will be looking at that as quickly as we can."

Missouri Right to Life executive director Patricia Skain said the ruling likely will overturn Missouri's laws on physician privileges and so-called ambulatory surgical centers.

"It's just hard to understand how the court could disregard the safety of women and call this kind of protective law an undue burden," Skain said. "It's meant to protect women."

Planned Parenthood's Columbia clinic stopped providing abortions after its only doctor performing the procedure lost privileges with University of Missouri Health Care.

Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri president and CEO Laura McQuade said physician Colleen McNicholas has a review hearing with the hospital July 15, but she won't regain privileges before the clinic's abortion license from the state is set to expire Thursday.

Kogut said the St. Louis clinic, which is the only center in the state performing non-emergency abortions, renewed its annual license as an ambulatory surgical center June 1. She said she didn't know whether the court's decision striking down requirements for abortion physicians to have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals would lead to an expansion of abortions at more Missouri locations.