Health

Missouri Commission Grants Stay To St. Louis Planned Parenthood

A commission granted St. Louis' Planned Parenthood a motion to stay so it can continue providing abortion care.

Missouri Commission Grants Stay To St. Louis Planned Parenthood
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On Friday, Missouri's Administrative Hearing Commission granted the state's only abortion clinic an extension so it can continue providing abortions. 

The motion to stay will let Planned Parenthood's St. Louis clinic continue providing abortions until at least August. 

The state's health department denied the clinic's application to perform abortion services because the clinic failed to correct multiple deficiencies. Planned Parenthood called the state's refusal to renew its abortion license illegal.   

The stay comes after St. Louis Judge Michael Stelzer extended a preliminary injunction to 5 p.m. Friday so the clinic could keep providing abortion care and have enough time to challenge the state's decision to the commission.

Recently, the St. Louis clinic announced that it would refuse to comply with a state order to conduct an extra pelvic examination for women seeking abortions. Clinic doctors said the procedure was medically unnecessary.  

Planned Parenthood sued the state last month. Also last month, Missouri's governor signed a bill that would ban abortion after eight weeks into a pregnancy. Since last summer, at least nine states have passed anti-abortion legislation.