Planned Parenthood and ACLU Sue to Overturn the Missouri Stands for the Unborn Act

On Tuesday, Planned Parenthood and the ACLU filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court (Western District of Missouri) to overturn HB 126, the Missouri Stands for the Unborn Act. The groups are challenging the law's regulation of abortions at eight, 14, 18, and 20 weeks gestation, and the prohibition of abortions based on the sex or race of the unborn child, or on the diagnosis of Down Syndrome. The ACLU and Planned Parenthood have asked the court to keep the law from going into effect until the case is decided. This move comes after the Springfield News-Leader reported last week that the ACLU was shifting its focus away from a possible referendum petition on HB 126, as it was running out of time to collect the signatures necessary to force a public vote on the bill.