MISSOURI — A Kansas City judge scheduled a trial for next year that could permanently remove Missouri’s abortion ban.
The trial date comes after a Jackson County judge put a temporary hold on licensing restrictions last week, giving the green light for abortions to be administered in Missouri.
The judge’s decision came after a lawsuit was filed by Planned Parenthood challenging the licensing process for providers who administer abortion medication.
The trial is scheduled for January 12, 2026, and is expected to last 10 days, according to court documents.
Missouri voters approved Amendment 3 in November 2024, making it one of several states to add the right to an abortion to the state constitution.
With Amendment 3, the Missouri Constitution was amended to:
- Establish a right to make decisions about reproductive health care, including abortion and contraceptives, with any governmental interference of that right presumed invalid;
- Remove Missouri’s ban on abortion;
- Allow regulation of reproductive health care to improve or maintain the health of the patient;
- Require the government not to discriminate, in government programs, funding, and other activities, against persons providing or obtaining reproductive health care; and
- Allow abortion to be restricted or banned after Fetal Viability except to protect the life or health of the woman