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Abortion rights advocates are concerned the legal dispute over the last existing abortion clinic in Missouri may have already hindered access to abortion. The license for Reproductive Health Services of Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region has been in jeopardy for months as state officials delayed action on its application. To compel the state to act, Planned Parenthood took state officials to court. (Fentem, 6/11)

Missouri's top election official on Tuesday rejected a third petition for a public vote on a new law banning abortions at eight weeks of pregnancy. Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft's action came as opponents of the law are fighting in court to force the Republican to approve two similar petitions for a referendum that he rejected last week. (Ballentine, 6/11)

The work of a nationwide network of volunteers and nonprofit groups that assist women trying to end unwanted pregnancies has reemerged as new state restrictions on abortion threaten to force women to travel farther, pay more and wait longer for the procedure. The groups, which help with the cost and logistics of travel, lodging, food, child care and the abortion procedure itself, say they’re working harder and spending more. They’ve also seen an increase in donations for aid to the low-income women who have three-quarters of U.S. abortions and who are most of their clients. (Bernstein, 6/11)

States across the country are tightening regulations on abortion providers in the name of protecting women’s health. But a long-term study of women who sought abortions has found that those who ended their pregnancies reported slightly better health than their counterparts who requested the procedure but were denied. The findings, reported Monday in the Annals of Internal Medicine, suggests that a woman’s access to abortion may influence her health over time — providing new fodder for the highly charged debate. (Healy, 6/11)

The federal government is appealing a court injunction against a Trump administration action that prohibits family planning organizations from referring pregnant women to abortion clinics. Last month, the administration changed a public health law known as Title X, which from 1970 until now had required health care providers to make information about abortion available to low-income individuals at little or no cost. (6/11)

Vermont's Republican governor has signed a bill passed by the Democrat-controlled Legislature that protects women's access to abortion amid proponents' concerns that the U.S. Supreme Court could review Roe v. Wade. After signing the bill in private Monday, Gov. Phil Scott released a written statement saying he has consistently supported a woman's right to choose. (Rathke, 6/11)

Planned Parenthood says it is launching a regional political advocacy group to help protect abortion rights in Maryland, the District of Columbia and northern Virginia. Planned Parenthood is announcing this week that it is creating the political 501(c)(4) group. The announcement comes as abortion restrictions have been approved in state legislatures around the nation. (6/12)