Missouri’s only Planned Parenthood clinic loses bid for license, will stay open for now

Missouri’s health department will not renew the license for the state’s last abortion clinic, but will allow it to stay open for now.

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services declined to renew a Planned Parenthood clinic’s license Friday after being ordered to reach a decision by a judge, according to The Associated Press.

The department cited patient safety concerns, including failed abortions, as its reasoning. 

{mosads}But the St. Louis clinic will stay open, at least temporarily, under a preliminary injunction issued by Judge Michael Stelzer last month. 

Planned Parenthood sued the state in May for making the renewal of its abortion license conditional on interviews with the clinic’s doctors as part of an investigation. Planned Parenthood said the doctors were residents, not employees of the clinic and could not be compelled to do interviews.

Stelzer issued a preliminary injunction, allowing the clinic to continue performing abortions while the case is being litigated. 

Stelzer said Friday he will make a final decision about the case soon.  

If the clinic closes, Missouri will become the first state in almost 50 years without a single abortion clinic.