Missouri's Republican attorney general is seeking to obtain the medical records of Planned Parenthood abortion patients, officials who oversee clinics in Kansas City and St. Louis said in court papers.
The fight over subpoenas is unfolding in the lawsuit was filed last year from Planned Parenthood Great Plains, an abortion provider affiliate in Kansas City, and Planned Parenthood Great Rivers, an affiliate in St. Louis. Planned Parenthood officials say the state's restrictions violate an amendment to the Missouri Constitution approved by voters in November that protects abortion rights.
The Missouri Attorney General's Office, starting in late August, issued subpoenas to two employees of Planned Parenthood's Kansas City affiliate, a contract doctor and two former board members of a St. Louis-area Planned Parenthood affiliate, according to past Planned Parenthood court filings. month. One motion to quash the subpoenas said the attorney general sought patient records, adverse event reports and patient care reports, as well as clinical records, equipment maintenance records, contract documents and records related to state compliance.
“Despite the Missouri Attorney General's blatant attempts to override the will of the people, all patients expect and have the right to have their medical records kept private,” the two affiliates said in a joint statement Tuesday. “Politicians have no place in an exam room with patients and their health care providers.”
Attorney General Katherine Hanaway's office did not immediately respond to an email Tuesday seeking comment. But in a June statement, the state questioned Planned Parenthood officials' repeated claims that “abortions are rarely associated with medical complications” and that the state's requirements do not improve patient health.
“The purpose of the trial is to “establish the truth,” the document says.
Abortion policy changes nationally starting in 2022. US Supreme Court decision this overturned Roe v. Wade and allowed states to enforce prohibitions. Twelve states now ban abortion at any stage of pregnancy, with some exceptions, and women are now more likely to cross state lines to get an abortion or get them with pills sent by prescribers elsewhere.
A years-long legal battle has left Missouri oscillating between banning and allowing most abortions. Before last year's vote, the state had a near-total ban.
In July, Jackson County Circuit Court Judge Jerry Zhang in Kansas City blocked execution many restrictions while a lawsuit is pending, including licensing requirements and a 72-hour waiting period for abortions.
Planned Parenthood clinics provide procedural abortions in St. Louis, Kansas City and Columbia, where the main campus of the University of Missouri is located. Planned Parenthood Great Plains also operates two abortion clinics on the Kansas side of the Kansas City metropolitan area.
Medical abortions remain in force in Missouri as Planned Parenthood officials battle with the state over abortion rules.
Last year's measure amended the state constitution to guarantee abortion rights until the fetus is viable, which is generally considered sometime after 21 weeks of pregnancy.
The Republican-led Legislature wants to return to the ban, except in cases of pregnancy resulting from rape and incest. In May, he approved a proposed constitutional amendment to do so, but the explanation to voters of what legislators wanted on the 2026 ballot appeared tied to another lawsuit filed in Cole County Circuit Court in the state capital of Jefferson City by a doctor who championed last year's ballot question.
Cole County Judge Daniel Green ruled last month that summary, originally written by lawmakers, was unfair and did not make it clear to voters that they were repealing last year's measure. He ordered the Missouri Secretary of State to rewrite it.
Editorial Greene, approved Tuesday, notes that the new measure “repeals Title I, Section 36, approved in 2024,” but does not explain what that entails.
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Associated Press journalist David A. Lieb also contributed from Jefferson City, Missouri.
