By Jim Sedlak
Back in 2016, Matt Bevin, pro-life governor of Kentucky, ordered Planned Parenthood to stop doing abortions at its facility in Louisville. Planned Parenthood Indiana and Kentucky (PPINK) filed a lawsuit, but Bevin denied the organization a license to do abortions.
Then, last year, PPINK formed a “strategic alliance” with Planned Parenthood Greater Northwest and Hawaiian Islands. As part of the alliance, Chris Charbonneau, CEO of the Northwest and Hawaii group, also became CEO of PPINK while keeping her position with the other affiliate. As part of the deal, PPGNHI infused millions of dollars in cash to the PPINK operation. That money was to be used for political reasons and to open new medical facilities.
One of the first things Charbonneau did was to reopen PP’s clinic in Fort Wayne, IN. She also got involved in the governor’s race in Kentucky.
Last November, pro-abortion Andy Beshear defeated Bevin in the election and took over the governor’s office. One of Governor Beshear’s first actions was to tell Planned Parenthood that it could refile its applications to do abortions. On January 31, 2020, PPINK announced: “Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky (PPINK) announced today that its Louisville Health Center will now provide abortion services. This week, PPINK received the provisional license from the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS), allowing the Louisville Health Center to offer a full range of reproductive health care, including abortion. Patients will be able to access abortion in March 2020.”
Charbonneau issued the following statement: “Kentucky has gone from one abortion provider to two, which is a significant win for reproductive health care in the state. Abortion access in Kentucky and across the country is at great risk, so while this is a step forward, the fight is far from over. We are glad to see the Cabinet for Health and Family Services follow the law and grant PPINK a provisional license because we met the requirements.”
In our February 6, 2019, edition of the WSR, we told you that “PPGNHI runs 27 facilities in four states and 26 do surgical or medical abortions. PPINK runs 18 facilities in two states and four do surgical or medical abortions. The real purpose of this ‘strategic alliance’ is to get more abortion facilities operated by Planned Parenthood in Kentucky and Indiana.”
These recent developments in Kentucky bear out our prediction.
This is not over; both Kentucky and Indiana will be seeing increased pressure from Planned Parenthood to add surgical and medical abortion services to all its existing facilities in both states—and to open new ones.
In addition, as this “strategic alliance” progresses and shows results in the form of more killing centers, nationally we will see more of these alliances where larger affiliates (e.g., Planned Parenthood Mar Monte and Planned Parenthood Greater New York) infuse cash and political acumen into smaller affiliates.
Jim Sedlak is vice president of American Life League, founder of STOPP International, and host of a weekly talk show on the Radio Maria Network. He has been successfully fighting Planned Parenthood since 1985.