The abortion chain Planned Parenthood is trying again to open an abortion facility in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Lancaster, known for its large Amish population, is a conservative area, and pro-lifers have worked for decades to keep an abortion facility from opening there. This week, however, Planned Parenthood announced plans to open a new $1.2 million facility in the city this fall and start providing abortions next year, LancasterOnline reports.
The abortion chain plans to provide “medicine-based” abortions up to 11 weeks of pregnancy at the new Manor Street facility, according to the newspaper. The FDA only approves abortion pills up to 10 weeks. The building previously was a Catholic bookstore.
Samantha Bobila, chief external affairs officer for Planned Parenthood Keystone, said they plan to open later this month, pending the approval of their permit.
To do abortions, Planned Parenthood also must have a transfer agreement with a local hospital for the purpose of treating patients suffering from emergency complications, according to the newspaper. Planned Parenthood Keystone CEO Melissa Reed said they expect to secure that agreement soon.
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However, local pro-life leaders already are mounting opposition to the plan.
Lancaster County Commissioner Josh Parsons said most citizens will oppose the new abortion facility because they believe every human being deserves a right to life.
“Any hospital cooperating with them in this mission would be not only acting against the wishes of this majority of citizens, but also acting in opposition to the fundamentals of the hippocratic oath – do no harm,” Parsons responded on Twitter. “I would anticipate any hospital doing so will see many people and organizations, including Lancaster County government, reevaluate relationships they have with such an organization.”
Michael Geer, president of the Pennsylvania Family Council, also predicted widespread local opposition to the new abortion facility.
“Citizens in Lancaster County spoke up and engaged to prevent Planned Parenthood from moving forward with those plans. And I think the sentiment in Lancaster remains the same,” Geer told LancasterOnline. “Certainly, demographics have changed, but I believe a large swath of the county’s population still opposes abortion.”
Back in 1998, Lancaster citizens succeeded in stopping Planned Parenthood from opening an abortion facility there. The matter went to court, and, in 2000, a judge ruled that local zoning ordinances prohibited the facility from doing surgical abortions, the newspaper reports.
Abortions are legal for any reason up to 24 weeks in Pennsylvania. In 2020, 32,123 unborn babies were aborted in the state.
