Coalition Life will offer sidewalk counseling outside St. Louis Planned Parenthood
Abortions have resumed in Missouri after a judge blocked a licensing requirement for abortion facilities.
In the Feb. 14 ruling, Jackson County Circuit Judge Jerri Zhang said that the licensing requirement is “facially discriminatory because it does not treat services provided in abortion facilities the same as other types of similarly situated health care, including miscarriage care.”
Abortions resumed at Planned Parenthood in Kansas City on Feb. 16 and are expected to resume at the clinic in St. Louis.
The Missouri bishops said in a statement that they were saddened that abortions will resume in Missouri, adding that the legalization and deregulation of abortion will harm women, children and families.
The Church “will strive to increase advocacy for policies that uphold the dignity of all human life, protect the vulnerable, provide support for those in need and continue to combat the forces behind the culture of death,” they said. “We will also work with lawmakers to craft prudent legislation to protect the welfare and dignity of pregnant mothers and their unborn children.”
The Church “will continue to educate the faithful on the inherent dignity of all, as each individual is a child of God, and endeavor to make resources available to those in need,” the bishops said.
Coalition Life resumed sidewalk counseling services in front of Planned Parenthood in St. Louis on Feb. 17. The organization will host a “Show Me Life Prayer Vigil” from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. from Feb. 17-22. Volunteers may sign up at coalitionlife.com/stl.
“The court’s decision marks a sad day for anyone who values the sanctity of life,” Coalition Life executive director Brian Westbrook said. “This ruling reinforces the need for pro-life agencies and advocates to offer life-affirming alternatives to women. Coalition Life remains steadfast in our mission to provide resources, education and support to women facing unexpected pregnancies.”
A spokesperson for Missouri Stands with Women, a campaign that opposed Amendment 3, shared concerns about the safety of unlicensed and unregulated abortion clinics and stressed the importance of protecting women from potential risks posed by unrestricted abortions.
“The health and safety of women should never be compromised, yet unlicensed and unregulated abortion clinics prioritizing profits over safety is now being unleashed in Missouri.” Stephanie Bell said in a statement.
Amendment 3, which passed with 51.6% of votes in support, allows for abortions until fetal viability (typically around 22-24 weeks of pregnancy), but also offers a broad exception for the “life and physical or mental health” of the pregnant person. A day after its passage, Planned Parenthood filed a 221-page lawsuit, seeking to block enforcement of several abortion laws.
In a December ruling, Judge Zhang temporarily blocked several abortion-related laws and kept others in place, including a requirement that patients be seen by a doctor in person before prescribing pills used in medication abortions and a requirement that abortions can only be performed by medical doctors.
She also initially left the clinic licensing rules in place, but Planned Parenthood filed a motion in court asking her to reconsider, which led to a reversal of her decision on Feb. 14. The judge’s decision will likely be appealed. The bench trial where she is expected to make a permanent ruling has been set for January 2026.
