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U.S. NEWS Thursday 4 OcTOber 2018

Missouri down to 1 abortion clinic amid legal battle

By SUMMER BALLENTINE
Associated Press
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP)
— Missouri is down to one
clinic providing abortions
Wednesday, after the only
other clinic in the state that
performs the procedure
failed to adhere to new
state requirements and its
license expired.
Federal appeals court
judges also ruled last month
that Missouri can enforce a
requirement that doctors
must have admitting privi-
leges at nearby hospitals
before they can perform
abortions. The judges is-
sued a mandate Monday
for that rule to officially take
effect.
The Columbia Planned Par-
enthood clinic has been
unable to secure physician
privileges or find a doctor
with those privileges after
a panel of medical staff at
University of Missouri Health In this Dec. 12, 2016, file photo, protesters hold anti-abortion signs outside the Planned Parenthood Columbia Health Center on in
Care voted to stop offering Columbia, Mo.
those privileges altogether Associated Press
in 2015 amid a Republican- tions can be performed request. If Wimes does de- as ensuring that women and bodily fluid.”
led legislative investigation — or travel to neighboring cide to grant a temporary have access to a treating Miller said Planned Parent-
on abortion in the state. states, she said. Planned restraining order on the law, physician, ensuring conti- hood takes issue with that
Miller said the clinic can- Parenthood has argued in abortions could resume at nuity of care, reducing the description, and said the
celled abortions scheduled court filings that the addi- the clinic if it also receives likelihood of unnecessary tubing has been replaced
for Wednesday in Colum- tional distance women will another license. treatment, and providing and other concerns raised
bia, which would have need to travel to the clinic Planned Parenthood af- women and the State with in the Sept. 26 inspection
been the first since the on the far eastern border of filiates with Missouri health greater, more accurate in- have been addressed.
mandate was issued. The the state to receive abor- centers filed the underly- formation.” Attorneys with U.S District Judge Howard
clinic continues to provide tions will be burdensome ing lawsuit to block state the attorney general also Sachs in May 2017 issued a
other health care services. and could make the proce- requirements on admitting wrote that the require- temporary restraining order
“We are unable to provide dure inaccessible to some. privileges and mandates ment “is strongly justified to block the admitting privi-
abortion services now, so Miller said they’re hoping that clinics meet hospital- by Missouri-specific circum- leges rule. But his action
we’ve been working with the state will issue another like standards for outpa- stances, such as the deeply was undone in September
patients who were on the abortion license soon. tient surgery. The U.S. Su- troubling health-and-safety by judges on the 8th U.S.
schedule for today for Planned Parenthood at- preme Court in 2016 struck record of Missouri abortion Circuit Court of Appeals,
abortion appointments to torneys also had asked down similar rules in Texas. facilities and their long, fla- who argued Sachs didn’t
let them know what their al- U.S. Western District Court The Missouri Attorney Gen- grant violation of statutory do enough to weigh the
ternatives are,” Miller said. Judge Brian Wimes to tem- eral’s Office, which is de- reporting requirements.” cost benefits of Missouri’s
Women seeking abortions porarily exempt the Colum- fending the regulations, in The office cited a Sept. rules and sent the case
can go to Planned Par- bia clinic from the hospital court documents argued 26 health inspection that back to the lower court.
enthood’s St. Louis clinic privileges requirement be- that the admitting privileg- found the clinic was using The underlying challenge
— which is now the only fa- fore Wednesday. Wimes es requirement “provides equipment with tubing that to the Missouri abortion reg-
cility in Missouri where abor- hasn’t yet ruled on that substantial benefits, such contained “black mold ulations is still pending.q