Judge: Missouri Planned Parenthood Clinic to Keep License Through December
A U.S. district judge ruled Wednesday to allow Planned Parenthood to keep its license until the end of the month, giving the clinic more time to find a hospital that will grant its physician admitting privileges.
The order blocking the revocation of Planned Parenthood’s license to perform abortions at its Columbia Health Center will remain in place until late December, U.S. District Judge Nanette Laughrey ruled Wednesday.
The order was set to expire Wednesday at 5 p.m., but Laughrey said that there was a “a substantial likelihood” that Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri would win a lawsuit filed this week claiming that the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services had denied it equal protection under the law.
Dr. Colleen McNicholas, the clinic’s physician, lost her admitting privileges with the University of Missouri Health Care system after university officials—pressed by GOP legislators—voted to discontinue her “refer and follow” privileges. Laughrey’s ruling will give the clinic time to prepare for the next court date and seek hospital privileges for McNicholas, Laura McQuade, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri, said in a news conference following the hearing.
McNicholas began providing medication abortions twice a month at the clinic in August, after receiving admitting privileges at the University of Missouri Health Care system that summer. The university-owned hospital then revoked her privileges after school officials were pressured by the state’s Republican lawmakers, who control the legislature and have sought to make abortion inaccessible throughout Missouri. The clinic stopped performing abortions on November 23.
The judge’s ruling does not allow the clinic to continue performing abortions at this time. Even if Planned Parenthood wins its lawsuit to keep its license, it needs to find a hospital within 30 miles of the clinic that will grant McNicholas admitting privileges.
State Solicitor General James Layton argued Wednesday that since no abortions can be performed there, there is no harm in the state immediately revoking the license. Laughrey, however, cited that same fact as reason for ruling in Planned Parenthood’s favor.
“Neither patient nor public welfare is at risk by plaintiff maintaining its license,” Laughrey said.
The only abortion provider in Missouri is a Planned Parenthood clinic in St. Louis. The next hearing is scheduled for December 29.