Missouri Supreme Court Halts Abortions in State
The Missouri Supreme Court on Tuesday reinstated Missouri’s abortion ban, overturning prior lower court decisions and requiring the case to undergo stricter legal scrutiny. This high-profile ruling effectively blocks most abortions in Missouri, following legal disputes sparked by Amendment 3, which added abortion rights to the state constitution.
The ruling states Jackson County Judge Jerri Zhang of the 16th Circuit applied the wrong legal standard when she temporarily blocked the state’s abortion ban and licensing requirements in December 2024 and February 2025.
The dispute began after voters narrowly approved the pro-abortion Amendment 3 in November, adding abortion rights to the state constitution.
Planned Parenthood affiliates quickly filed suit to end the state’s pro-life laws, and Judge Zhang responded with orders allowing abortions to resume and ruling that the state’s clinic licensing requirements were discriminatory. But the Missouri Supreme Court’s two-page order Tuesday sided with state officials, stating that “Zhang applied the incorrect standard in issuing injunctions against a duly-enacted state law and, in effect, had too easily enjoined the state’s abortion restrictions,” reports Reuters.
Attorney General Andrew Bailey had asked the court to intervene, warning that Zhang’s orders left women “no guarantee of health and safety because abortion facilities are functionally unregulated under state law in Missouri,” reports Reuters. The Supreme Court agreed, emphasizing that any preliminary injunction against a state law must be supported by a “threshold finding” that the party seeking the injunction is “likely to prevail” on the merits of the case. Zhang will now have to reconsider the case using this stricter standard.
Brian Westbrook, Executive Director of Coalition Life, called the decision “a significant moment for women and children in Missouri.” He praised the court’s insistence on “rigorous legal scrutiny before allowing our life-saving laws to be suspended.”
Westbrook argued that the lower court’s ruling had “left abortion facilities functionally unregulated,” and that “women deserve better than unlicensed facilities rushing to provide abortions under a constitutional cloud. Today’s decision is a step back toward safety, accountability, and a culture that values every human life.”
The case highlights the uncertainty surrounding Amendment 3, which opponents say could eliminate important protections and allow dangerous procedures. While the Supreme Court’s ruling is not the final word—the lawsuit is now headed for a January 2026 trial—it temporarily blocks abortions and restores the state’s previous restrictions.
“This is not the end of the legal battle,” Westbrook said, “but it is a critical victory for every pro-life Missourian. Coalition Life will continue to advocate for the most defenseless on the sidewalk and through our pregnancy center as we serve these women and preborn children most affected by this decision.”
–Dwight Widaman, LifeSiteNews and Reuters.
