Earlier this week, an appeals court lifted an injunction that barred Planned Parenthood of Greater Orlando from performing abortions at their facility in Kissimmee, Florida. This particular Planned Parenthood happens to be 20 minutes from Disney World; you know, the place where nearly 50 million people visit with their children every year.
In May, LifeNews reported that the abortion giant purchased an 8,800 sq. ft. building from Orthopaedic Associates for $1.4 million. However, a Circuit Judge prohibited the abortion business from performing abortions because the complex in which the building resides has deed restrictions that prohibit surgical procedures from being performed without permission from other owners.
As it turns out, the owners weren’t too keen on an abortion business setting up shop in their complex and they sued Planned Parenthood for violating regulations.
Also, the zoning area where their facility is located is zoned for medical, not surgical offices. But this didn’t stop Planned Parenthood. They bought the property because they were convinced they could find away around these restrictions and perform abortions.
Unfortunately, they were able to regain their abortion privileges because the court ruled that Planned Parenthood’s surgical work did fall in line with the property’s rules. They also said that the lower court was wrong to say that Planned Parenthood was not a physician’s practice simply because it was a charity. However, an organization that kills hundreds of thousands of babies each year cannot be called a charity.
CEO of Planned Parenthood’s affiliate in Kissimmee, Jenna Tosh, said the following about the courts decision:
“We are pleased that the appeals court recognized that the injunction was wrongly entered. Since opening our doors to the community in July, our Kissimmee Health Center has provided care to over 600 women and men. We look forward to continuing to serve our patients in Osceola County and providing a wide range of essential reproductive health care services.”
Although Planned Parenthood is happy that they are open for business, the residents of Kissimmee are not. When the Orlando Sentinel conducted a poll asking the citizens if they should be allowed to open, 72% said no.
The Kissimmee facility is Planned Parenthood’s third in Central Florida and cost $2 million to build. In Florida, there are over 80,000 abortions every year and out of the 50 states in the U.S., Florida has one of the highest abortion rates. While the abortion rate has dropped by 10% since 2008, Florida accounts for 8% of U.S. abortions.
