Abortion

U.S. Sens. Josh Hawley and Eric Schmitt expect Missouri Republican-backed ballot issues will succeed even in a tough election year.

In addition to approving legislation that would allow students to transfer outside their district, senators sparred over bills on abortion education and preventing teachers from recognizing a student's preferred gender.

Missouri Planned Parenthood clinics can currently perform procedural abortions but state laws limit the scope of care, and medication abortion is blocked. A trial in Jackson County could clarify which state-imposed standards abortion providers must meet.

Missouri voters enshrined the right to an abortion in 2024, but several abortion restrictions remain state law. A Jackson County judge temporarily blocked those laws, and Planned Parenthood is now seeking to permanently strike those laws to ease abortion access.

Circuit Judge Jerri Zhang will preside over the two-week bench trial to determine whether Missouri's abortion restrictions violate the state's constitution.