Missouri Supreme Court hears case on latest effort to block Planned Parenthood funding

By SUMMER BALLENTINE
Associated Press

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri’s attorney general is defending the Republican-led Legislature’s latest attempt in a years-long struggle to block taxpayer dollars from going to Planned Parenthood. Lawyers for the state argued against any taxpayer money going to Planned Parenthood during a Missouri Supreme Court hearing Wednesday. Missouri banned almost all abortions in 2022. Before that, the state prohibited any public funding for abortions. Missouri lawmakers in 2022 went a step further by stripping all money for Planned Parenthood from the state budget, including other health care services for Medicaid patients. Planned Parenthood sued and a lower court judge sided with the organization.