Planned Parenthood Sues to Stop Health Department From Inspecting Its Abortion Clinics

State   |   Micaiah Bilger   |   Apr 23, 2018   |   3:34PM   |   Indianapolis, IN

Planned Parenthood filed a lawsuit Monday to overturn one of the most basic health and safety requirements of a public facility: annual inspections.

Government health officials regularly inspect everything from nail salons and restaurants to hospitals and doctor’s offices, but the top abortion business in America believes a new Indiana law requiring regular inspections of abortion clinics is too burdensome.

The Indianapolis Business Journal reports the American Civil Liberties Union and Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky filed the lawsuit on Monday to challenge the new Indiana law.

“Once again Indiana politicians are barging into the exam room with irrational demands and intrusive requirements,” ACLU of Indiana Executive Director Jane Henegar said in a statement.

The law requires annual inspections of abortion facilities and increases reporting requirements when patients experience complications from an abortion. It also includes language to help ensure abortion facilities are reporting suspected abuse, whether by a partner, parent or human trafficker.

Here’s more from the report:

The suit asserts that the law violates due process and equal protection by singling out abortion procedures and requiring invasive reporting that has nothing to do with protecting women’s health.

The plaintiffs say abortions are one of the safest types of medical procedures—more than 99 percent safe, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Ken Falk, the ACLU of Indiana’s legal director, said in a statement: “Indiana is burdening abortion patients and their medical providers with reporting requirements that make little sense. These requirements are unconstitutional and need to be struck down.”

The abortion industry has a financial reason for claiming abortions are safe for women; of course, they never are safe for the unborn baby. And without regular inspections or reporting requirements, they can continue to make those claims based on what they choose to report.

Mike Fichter, president and CEO of Indiana Right to Life, commented: “Indiana’s new law, SEA 340 on abortion complications reporting, brings needed transparency to the abortion industry. Planned Parenthood likes to claim that abortions never harm women. If that was the case, why do they oppose this common sense law? Their lawsuit begs the question, does Planned Parenthood have something to hide?”

Fichter said he is confident the Indiana law will withstand a court challenge.

“In 1995, the legislature passed an informed consent bill to benefit women seeking abortions,” he said. “The law was tied up in the courts for years thanks to Planned Parenthood. Once the law was found constitutional and enacted, we saw the abortion rate decline. We believe the same thing will happen here. SEA 340 helps women and unborn children in Indiana.”

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At least 20 states require some type of reporting of abortion complications, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a pro-abortion research group.

Regular inspections and complication reports are basic, common-sense requirements for health care facilities that help shed light on their health and safety practices.

The horrific case of abortionist Kermit Gosnell in Philadelphia prompted a number of states to pass abortion facility regulations within the past decade. Prosecutors in the case said Gosnell got away with his shoddy, murderous abortion practice for decades because of the lack of government oversight. According to authorities investigating the case, hair and nail salons were subject to greater scrutiny than abortion clinics in Pennsylvania. Gosnell was convicted of murdering three newborn babies, contributing to the death of a female patient in his “house of horrors” abortion facility and hundreds of other violations.

A Texas-based abortion chain currently is trying to open in South Bend, Indiana. Whole Women’s Health has wracked up dozens of health and safety violations at its Texas facilities.

The Indiana Department of Health refused to give the abortion chain a license in January; it said the abortion chain made “inaccurate statements” and “failed to meet the requirement that the Applicant is of reputable and responsible character.” However, Whole Women’s Health is appealing the decision.