Planned Parenthood suffers defeat in Texas

Planned Parenthood of Waco TX moved its abortion clinic from its location on 927 Columbus Ave. into what used to be the organization’s administrative offices at 1121 Ross Ave. Suite A in the central Texas city.

The January 4 move came about as the result of a review of cost-saving strategies to ensure that funds are used efficiently, Pam Smallwood, Interim Co-CEO of Planned Parenthood said local media.

In 2011, prolife advocates leased a house adjacent to the Columbus Avenue clinic. Whether the proximity of the prolifers to the abortion clinic had anything to do with today's move is open to question. In a press release, John Piscotta, director of Pro-Life Waco, called the closing “wonderful news for the immediate neighborhood and in particular the nearby Waco Montessori School.” He added, that the move “shatters any pretense that Planned Parenthood’s abortion business in separate from its birth control business.”

Planned Parenthood says no government funds are used to support abortion care and says that more than 96 percent of the services it provides are preventive including breast and cervical cancer screenings, birth control annual exams and HIV and diabetes screening. This statement ran contrary to the annual report by the Planned Parenthood Federation, which admitted that it receives nearly $500 million in annual government subsidies.

Planned Parenthood of Central Texas, which operates facilities in Waco and Marlin and Groesbeck, announced that it was merging with Austin’s Planned Parenthood.

Waco’s Planned Parenthood has been the focus of pro-life groups for some 15 years.