New Jersey Planned Parenthood Biz Closes Another Center

State   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Nov 25, 2010   |   4:25PM   |   Trenton, NJ

The New Jersey Planned Parenthood has closed another center thanks to pro-life Gov. Chris Christie cutting off the taxpayer funding the abortion business receives through the state’s family planning program.

The announcement was lost in the news that the state Assembly passed a bill on Monday in an attempt to restore the funds, though Christie is expected to veto that bill as well.

Also on Monday, Planned Parenthood of Greater Northern New Jersey announced that it would be closing its Dover, New Jersey center. Although the facility did not do abortions it makes abortion referrals like all Planned Parenthood centers do to its abortion clinics.

“We sincerely regret the impact that this decision will have on the Dover community and individuals in this service area,” said Triste Brooks, President & CEO of Planned Parenthood of Greater Northern New Jersey, according to NJ.com. “Our Dover Health Center has been providing much-needed reproductive health care services to this community for over forty years.”

This is the second Planned Parenthood center to close following Christie’s decision to cut its funding because of significant budget and financial concerns the state faces.

The Planned Parenthood facility located on Haddonfield Road operated by Planned Parenthood of Southern New Jersey shut down in September.

PP-SNJ said it stood to lose as much as $160,000 in taxpayer funds because of Christie’s decision and the upholding of his veto. With the closing of the Cherry Hill center, Planned Parenthood customers seeking abortions or other “services” must go to PP centers in Camden, Bellmawr, and Edgewater Park.

Planned Parenthood of Southern New Jersey president Lynn Brown told the newspaper, “We are in think mode and creative mode and we are doing all that we can to try and salvage to see as many people as we need to see.”

“We all know it’s strictly ideological,” Brown said of the funding cuts to the abortion business. “This is a very frustrating and perplexing time for us.”

While the Cherry Hill center does not do abortions, it gives abortion referrals to Planned Parenthood offices in Hamilton Square, Princeton, and Trenton where abortions are done on women and unborn children.

Marie Tasy, the head of New Jersey Right to Life, told LifeNews.com at the time that she applauded the state Senate for not overriding Christie’s veto of the Planned Parenthood funding bill. [related]

“We applaud the Senators who voted No to override Governor Christie’s veto of S2139,” she said. “This debate was never about health care, it is about advancing a political agenda and rewarding ‘friends’ and a radical special interest group with our tax dollars.”

“We commend Governor Christie for his steadfast opposition to eliminate waste, fraud and abuse and for working to promote the best health care for all NJ citizens,” Tasy added.