Christian Post
Planned Parenthood has closed its last abortion clinic in the Quad Cities area of Iowa and Illinois, ending the business' 18-year presence in the area due to a decrease in state funding.
The Quad Cities Center of Bettendorf, Iowa, closed its doors Friday, being one of four area abortion clinics to cease operations since last year.
In a statement released Dec. 27, Planned Parenthood of the Heartland President Suzanna de Baca denounced the closures as "absurd" and "devastating."
"Gov. Kim Reynolds and anti-woman lawmakers forced us to make some extremely difficult changes this year in order to continue providing care for as many patients as possible," de Baca claimed.
"Since 1999, thousands of women in the Quad Cities have chosen Planned Parenthood because we offer a standard of expert, nonjudgmental care unmatched by other providers."The closures stemmed from the passage of House File 653 in May 2016, which created a state family planning network that blocks state funding of clinics that provide abortions.
In addition to Bettendorf, last summer Planned Parenthood of the Heartland also closed its locations in Burlington, Keokuk, and Sioux City. Planned Parenthood continues to operate abortion clinics in other areas of Iowa.
"The closures were blamed on the legislature's decision to effectively cut off $2 million in Medicaid money Planned Parenthood of the Heartland used to receive to provide birth control services to moderate-income Iowans," the Des Moines Register reported.
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