Missouri high court says Planned Parenthood can receive funding; cites failed appeal by state

By DAVID A. LIEB
Associated Press

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Missouri Supreme Court has upheld a ruling that lawmakers illegally blocked Medicaid funding from going to Planned Parenthood. The decision Wednesday by the high court stems from a 2022 funding bill that included wording attempting to block taxpayer dollars from going to Planned Parenthood. The Supreme Court said a trial judge had blocked the bill for two reasons — because it violated a single-subject clause of the state constitution and because it infringed on equal protection rights. The court said the state failed to appeal the equal protection claim, thus the lower court’s ruling will stand.