JEFFERSON CITY – A Jackson County judge has dismissed a lawsuit seeking to strike down Missouri regulations that make it difficult for minors to obtain an abortion.

In a ruling Tuesday, Circuit Judge Sarah Castle said the California-based organization that sued the state over its parental consent laws for abortion did not have a legal business presence in Missouri and, as a result, lacks the ability to bring suit against the state.

In dismissing the case filed by the group “Right By You,” Castle emphasized she was not addressing the legality of the state’s parental consent law.

“It remains undisputed that Right By You is not incorporated and does not otherwise have a statutorily authorized legal entity status in Missouri,” Castle wrote in a 17-page decision.

The group filed suit in A

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