Mixed ruling leaves Missouri abortion rights in limbo despite ballot measure

Judge said state's ban clearly contrary' to recently passed constitutional amendment but left other laws in place

More than two months after Missouri residents voted to add abortion rights into their state constitution and overturn the state's ban on the procedure, abortions have not yet resumed in Missouri - and it's not clear when they will, according to a key Planned Parenthood official in the region.

The day after the election, Missouri Planned Parenthood affiliates filed a lawsuit asking the court to eliminate a slew of abortion restrictions that, the affiliates said, made it impossible to perform the procedure. On Friday evening, the Jackson county circuit court judge Jerri Zhang ruled that several restrictions, including the state's near-total ban, were clearly contrary" to the state's new constitutional amendment and could not be enforced.