Missouri high court says state must pay Planned Parenthood

(AP) The Missouri Supreme Court says lawmakers violated the state Constitution when they tried to end all government funding of Planned Parenthood. The judges’ 6-1 Tuesday ruling means Missouri must start paying Planned Parenthood again. Abortion opponents in Missouri have for years sought to stop any taxpayer money from going to Planned Parenthood clinics, even those that don’t provide abortions. Planned Parenthood says some of its chapters provide preventative health care and not abortion and shouldn’t be financially penalized. The Missouri Supreme Court agreed. Judges ruled that lawmakers violated the Constitution by making the policy change through the state budget.