Latest news with #JacksonCountyCircuitCourt
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Kansas abortion clinic leader was ready for Missouri abortion ban, fears it won't be short-lived
Kathryn Boyd, the new CEO and president of the Wichita-based abortion clinic Trust Women, appeared on the Kansas Reflector podcast to discuss how Missouri's abortion ban might affect Kansans. (Submitted) TOPEKA — In May, as Kathryn Boyd began her new role as president and CEO of the Trust Women clinic in Wichita, one of the first conversations she had with the clinic's leaders was how to deal with a new ban in Missouri and what it might mean for Kansas. A late-May decision from a Missouri judge triggered an all-out ban on abortion in the state, but that wasn't much of a surprise to Kansas abortion providers who were preparing for the worst. The majority of abortion patients in Kansas already come from out of state, and now, Trust Women is making its physicians more available and expanding its hours to brace for an influx. 'This is a case of lawmakers who, despite what Missourians voted for, have decided that they're going to just throw that out the window and do what they want anyway,' Boyd said on the Kansas Reflector podcast. 'So I think my first reaction was like, OK, here we go again.' 'Before the ban, Missourians were able to receive abortion care in major cities, reversing years of restrictions implemented by state lawmakers. Those rulings came after voter approval of a constitutional amendment in November enshrining reproductive freedom in the state constitution. All of that was undone in a two-page ruling last month from Missouri Supreme Court Chief Justice Mary Russell, who ordered Jackson County Circuit Court Judge Jerri Zhang to vacate the December and February decisions and reevaluate the case, restoring a ban on abortions and restricting facility licensing. Health centers in Missouri provided care to people who wouldn't have to travel as far as they do now, Boyd said. Following the anger, fear and worry in the wake of the decision in Missouri, Boyd said the primary focus of Trust Women is to expand access. The clinic's message, she said, is, 'We're still here.' 'We're still providing care. We need to expand, and we need support. You know, that's really what it comes down to. And I think that that is a similar story of many, many providers throughout the country, regardless of what state they're in,' Boyd said. However, her fear is that the ban won't be short-lived. Boyd, who has worked in the field of abortion and reproductive care for years, entered the top job at Trust Women about a year after intense turmoil within the clinic. Reports of mass resignations and multiple leadership shakeups led the clinic to temporarily close its doors. Boyd, though she wasn't working at the clinic at the time, describes it as 'very, very hard' for the organization. 'Coming in after a culture shock like that can be really challenging for any leader,' Boyd said. 'Making sure that I come in with that in the back of my mind, I don't want that trauma to, like, dictate what we do going forward, but it definitely is like a side dish.' Her goal is to create a culture of transparency and collaboration, and that requires building back trust and listening, she said.
Yahoo
15-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Missouri court ruling paves the way for abortion access return
Feb. 15 (UPI) -- Women in Missouri are expected to again have access to abortion services within days, after a circuit court judge ruled business licenses imposed by the state on Planned Parenthood clinics were too onerous. "The Court finds the facility 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," Jackson County Circuit Court Judge Jerri Zhang wrote in her three-page ruling. Zhang found the business licenses imposed on clinics to freely operate violated parts of Missouri's state constitution and did not treat the facilities in the same manner as other medical institutions. This past November, people in Missouri voted to amend the state constitution and protect abortion rights. Amendment 3 overturned a ban on ending a pregnancy that went into effect after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the federal right to abortion in 2022. Arizona also overturned an abortion ban in November, and previously voters rejected bans in Ohio and Kansas. Proposed protective measures in Florida, Nebraska and South Dakota did not pass in November. Near total abortion bans are in 11 states. Despite the vote, clinics did not immediately begin offering abortion services as the state laws - including the business licenses - created hurdles. "Today's decision is a triumph for all Missourians: for the voters who demanded their rights, for the medical providers we trust to provide care, and most importantly, for patients who will now be able to receive high-quality care without fear," President and CEO of Comprehensive Health of Planned Parenthood Great Plains Emily Wales said in a statement to the Kansas City Star. "Abortion care will be restored immediately. The people voted, the court responded, and we will do our part: serving Missourians in their home state." It remains to be seen how higher courts will treat Zhang's ruling and the issue could very well end up in the Supreme Court of Missouri.
Yahoo
15-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Missouri judge moves to temporarily block ‘discriminatory' abortion restrictions
A Missouri Circuit Court judge moved to temporarily block the state's 'discriminatory' abortion restriction, striking down a licensing requirement for clinics providing the procedure. Jackson County Circuit Court Judge Jerri Zhang blocked the licensing requirement Friday evening, which abortion advocates and providers argued was a crucial step in permitting procedures in the state. Zhang, in a three-page ruling, wrote that the 'facility 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.' Last year's ruling temporarily lifted the state's abortion ban, but some restrictions were kept, including having abortion facilities license with the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. Planned Parenthood and others argued that this requirement made physicians perform 'medically unnecessary' exams to those seeking an abortion, a step Zhang also deemed 'unnecessary.' 'The regulations mandate physicians to perform certain exams and testing that are unnecessary when the physicians themselves are authorized and enabled to make the determination on what is and is not necessary for their individual patients,' Zhang wrote in the ruling. Following Friday's ruling, Comprehensive Health of Planned Parenthood Great Plains CEO Emily Wales said that abortion care will be restored 'immediately' and said the judge's decision is a victory 'for all Missourians: for the voters who demanded their rights, for the medical providers we trust to provide care, and most importantly, for patients who will now be able to receive high-quality care without fear.' After the overturn of Roe v. Wade in 2022, Missouri was the first state to implement a near-total abortion ban. The state's voters approved a measure in November last year that did not repeal the current ban, but amended the state constitution. It allowed abortion advocates to file lawsuits and argue the current laws do not align with the new amendment. Those in support of the state's abortion ban said the fight is still ongoing. 'We will not stop fighting to protect both women and unborn children from reckless, profit-driven practices,' Missouri Stands with Women spokesperson Stephanie Bell said in a Friday statement. 'No woman should suffer, and no innocent life should be taken, in the name of an industry that refuses to be held accountable.' The judge's Friday ruling is a temporary order pending the outcome of the lawsuit by abortion-rights advocates, who sued to overturn the ban shortly after the November amendment passed. The Hill has reached out to Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey's office for comment. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
