{"id":189243,"date":"2018-10-02T08:19:26","date_gmt":"2018-10-02T13:19:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.liveaction.org\/news\/?p=189243"},"modified":"2018-10-01T20:52:50","modified_gmt":"2018-10-02T01:52:50","slug":"planned-parenthood-thrilled-abort-ky","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/planned-parenthood-thrilled-abort-ky\/","title":{"rendered":"Planned Parenthood ‘thrilled’ women can abort in KY after judge nixes law"},"content":{"rendered":"
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U.S. District Judge Greg Stivers ruled on Friday that abortion facilities in Kentucky don’t have to have ambulance transfer or transport agreements with local hospitals. Because of this, EMW Women’s Surgical Center, Kentucky’s only current abortion facility, will be allowed to remain open — a center which was found to have had filthy conditions<\/a> in a 2016 inspection. The law was challenged by EMW, the ACLU, and Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky (PPINK). According to the Louisville Courier-Journal<\/a>, “Opponents argued the law\u00a0was unnecessary, in that clinics already have access to local hospital and emergency medical transportation. Lawyers for [Governor Matt] Bevin said the law is necessary for patient safety.”<\/p>\n

While some pro-choicers reacted by saying the ruling was a “victory for women” in ensuring abortion remains accessible in the state, others used verbiage that seemed oddly jubilant. The Courier-Journal notes that “Kim Greene, board chair of the regional Planned Parenthood, hailed the decision,” saying (emphasis added):<\/p>\n

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We are thrilled<\/strong> that women in Kentucky who need this medical service [read: abortion] will\u00a0be able to access it here. We look forward<\/strong> to helping those women.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Thrilled<\/em>. Thrilled that women will be having abortions. Looking forward<\/em> to women getting pregnant and then cutting their own children’s lives short. Apparently, Planned Parenthood is practically giddy at the prospect of now being able to offer abortions after its application for a license to do so was denied by the state<\/a> based on the transfer agreement law. (So much for the old claim that no one is really pro-abortion.)<\/p>\n

READ: Judge allows ‘filthy’ Kentucky abortion center to reopen<\/em><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

The judge was so against the regulations that in a separate order, he required the Bevin administration to pay Planned Parenthood “about $20,000 in costs for Planned Parenthood after it claimed\u00a0no one from the governor’s office showed up for a deposition in the case last year.” The governor’s office responded that they disagreed with the “decision to award attorneys\u2019 fees of $20,000 of Kentucky taxpayer money to Planned Parenthood due to a discovery dispute.”<\/p>\n

The judge wrote in his opinion that hospitals were apparently unwilling to sign agreements with abortion facilities:<\/p>\n

The evidence presented here establishes clearly that scant medical benefits from transfer and transport agreements are far outweighed by the burden on Kentucky women seeking abortions….\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Regardless of the reasons, it is clear that despite EMW and Planned Parenthood’s best efforts, no Louisville hospital is willing to sign a transfer agreement with this type of facility. As\u00a0a result, it is impossible for EMW plaintiffs or Planned Parenthood to comply with the requirement of such agreements.<\/em><\/p>\n