Last Friday, a tragic decision by Missouri’s Administrative Hearing Commission will allow Missouri’s last abortion facility -The St. Louis Planned Parenthood – to remain open. Students for Life has worked ardently to expose the unsafe, unsanitary conditions at this facility for over a year. Thanks to activist judges and pro-abortion officials, this facility will be allowed to continue ending preborn life and harming mothers.

Things to Know: 

Dr. Michael New, a visiting assistant professor of social research and political science at the Catholic University of America, an associate scholar at the Charlotte Lozier Institute, and a friend of SFLA, read and analyzed the entire 96 page decision. Noteworthy findings include:

• In a 12 month span, the Missouri Department of Health identified four instances of misconduct at the St. Louis Planned Parenthood. On three separate occasions, women had to return to the facility after failed abortions. On another occasion, a woman was transported from the Planned Parenthood to an emergency room after experiencing substantial blood loss following a second-trimester abortion.

• The administrative hearing commissioner identified two violations.
  The first was Planned Parenthood’s failure to file a complication
  report after one failed abortion. The second involved a Planned
  Parenthood staffer who failed to realize that one woman seeking an
  abortion was pregnant with twins. The commissioner indicated that this
  staffer exhibited “carelessness” in reviewing the ultrasound. He
  stated that Planned Parenthood’s failure to properly document having
  addressed this error with the staffer constituted another violation.

• Multiple aspects of the commissioner’s decision should concern
  pro-lifers. The commissioner discounted the testimony of the state’s
  expert witnesses Dr. Donna Harrison of AAPLOG and Dr. Randall
  Williams, director of the Missouri Department of Health and Senior
  Services. This is because, unlike Planned Parenthood’s “expert”
  witnesses, they did not have extensive experience committing
  abortions. This unfairly put the pro-life argument at a disadvantage.
  Few pro-life medical professionals have extensive experience
  committing abortions. Additionally, physicians who commit abortions
  have a vested interest in seeing abortion facilities remain open.

• In his decision, the commissioner seemed unconcerned that five
  physicians affiliated with Planned Parenthood refused to be
  interviewed during the state’s investigation.

Students for Life’s Western Regional Director, Reagan Barklage, noted: 

“The decision to renew St. Louis Planned Parenthood’s abortion license is nothing but an absolute tragedy for women here in Missouri. It is a shame that our state doesn’t see the severe danger women are put in, as they walk through Planned Parenthood’s doors.

This facility has had 80 ambulance calls since January 1, 2009. 74 of those calls are confirmed medical emergencies. Women have come to this facility looking for help, and have instead been rushed out of their doors in a stretcher.

Pregnancy is not a disease cured by abortion. Planned Parenthood is not health care, and what has happened at the St. Louis facility isn’t even safe abortion. It is barbaric to take advantage of women in their circumstance, and physically and emotionally harm them. Where is the outcry?

Women deserve better. The state has 30 days to appeal. Let’s hope that Missouri rises up against this injustice, and stands up for women and preborn children.“