Columbia, MO (LifeNews.com) -- The Planned Parenthood abortion business has temporarily stopped doing abortions at its center in Columbia. That leaves just two functioning abortion businesses in Missouri, with another Planned Parenthood abortion center in St. Louis and the Women’s Care Gynecology abortion clinic in Bridgeton, a suburb near the airport. Peter Brownlie, president of Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri, told the Columbia Missourian newspaper abortions have stopped due to “scheduling issues."
That likely means the abortion business is having problems finding an out-of-state abortion practitioner to come there on a regular business to do abortions, but the abortion business operator wouldn't elaborate.
“We don't talk about our doctors and providers publicly, for security reasons,” he said, “because they're subject to harassment and difficulties.”
Brownlie told the newspaper the abortions were temporarily halted two weeks ago and, while he doesn't expect the stoppage to be "lengthy," he doesn't know when abortions will resume.
Missouri Right to Life President Pam Fichter applauded the stoppage, even if for a limited time.
“Any time an abortion clinic is not performing abortions, that’s a step in the right direction,” she said. "It’s still wonderful news that the Planned Parenthood in Columbia has temporarily halted its abortion practice. Many lives will be saved as a result."
MRL legal counsel James Cole said the Women’s Care abortion center Allen Palmer runs has been the subject of considerable controversy.
"Palmer has aggressively sued peaceful demonstrators who have carried signs in a parking lot near the building where he does abortions," he said.
Cole also chided the Missourian newspaper for wrongly reporting the closure meant the state had just one functioning abortion business.
"Why his abortion business is always ignored by the major news outlets mystifies me. Apparently he does not seek the limelight, but even so, reporters appear to be professionally incompetent when they ignore him," he said.
Related web sites:
Missouri Right to Life - http://www.missourilife.org