KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Planned Parenthood is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to vacate an appeals court order that slowed the expansion of abortion services in Missouri.
Last week, the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued a temporary stay that stopped enforcement of a lower court ruling requiring the state to issue licenses to more abortion clinics in the state.
The case stems from a ruling in April that barred Missouri from enforcing new abortion regulations. Planned Parenthood then sought licenses to provide abortion services in Kansas City, Joplin, Springfield and Columbia. The Kansas City clinic received a license but the appeals court ruling delayed licenses for the other clinics.
Planned Parenthood argued Friday that the Supreme Court last year struck down abortion regulations in Texas that were nearly identical to Missouri's regulations.