Missouri abortion clinic will remain open

Missouri’s only remaining abortion clinic will remain open for now, a judge ruled on Friday.

Judge Michael Stelzer granted a temporary restraining order keeping the state from closing the Planned Parenthood clinic.

{mosads}The clinic’s abortion license was set to expire at midnight. The state had refused to renew it unless it received interviews with five of the clinic’s doctors.

The clinic will remain open until at least Tuesday, when there will be a hearing to consider a preliminary injunction.

“Today is a victory for women across Missouri, but this fight is far from over,” Leana Wen, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood, said in a statement. 

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson (R) said Wednesday that the state would not renew the clinic’s abortion license unless it complied with an ongoing investigation into potential violations of state law.

Parson said the Planned Parenthood clinic is suspected of breaking several state laws and regulations, including one that requires patients receive pelvic exams 72 hours before getting abortions. 

The state requested interviews with the clinic’s seven doctors. 

While Planned Parenthood has made two of its doctors available for interviews, the other five are not technically employees and have not consented to interviews. 

Planned Parenthood filed a lawsuit Tuesday arguing that it is illegal for the state to make interviews with doctors a condition for its license renewal.

Planned Parenthood will return to court Tuesday to make those arguments, while Parson has said keeping the clinic open would be reckless. 

If the clinic loses its license to perform abortions, it would become the only state in the U.S. without an abortion clinic. It would still be able to offer other health care services.