The fate of the last Planned Parenthood facility in Missouri has been up in the air for the last several months.
However, it looks like pro-life and pro-choice advocates will have to wait just a little bit longer as a judge ruled on Friday that the facility is allowed to stay open at least until he makes his final ruling on a controversial decision by the state’s health department to not renew the clinic’s license.
As reported by USA Today, “St. Louis Circuit Judge Michael Stelzer said a preliminary injunction he previously issued to keep the clinic operating would remain in place until he makes a final ruling.”
“Stelzer said he would issue a written order outlining next steps, but he was not sure if the order would come on Friday,” the paper reports.
The state of Missouri allowed Planned Parenthood’s practicing license to expire, opting to neither renew nor end contractual agreements and operation approval of the facility by the state. Planned Parenthood sued the state and the case has been working through the court system.
The judge argued that Missouri cannot legally do this, and must either renew or officially end services but cannot simply let the license expire.
Missouri’s Department of Health and Human Services, however, says that Planned Parenthood’s refusal to cooperate on agreed-upon standards makes the facility unsafe and therefore deserves to have its license expire.
