Planned Parenthood: No new Texas abortion clinics in works
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) -- Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards said Saturday that her organization has no immediate plans to build more abortion clinics in Texas, where only eight facilities are likely to remain if another round of strict regulations takes effect July 1.
Only the U.S. Supreme Court can now stop Texas from forcing abortion facilities to be constructed like surgical centers, and prevent a second major wave of clinic closures statewide in as many years. Texas had 41 abortion clinics in 2012.
More than half shut down last year when a court allowed Texas to require doctors at abortion clinics to have hospital admitting privileges. Planned Parenthood locations were among those forced to stop offering abortions, and Richards said new construction is no cure-all to restoring abortion access.
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"We can build compliant facilities, but unless there is a local hospital that would give admitting privilege - which is a highly political issue, not a medical issue - it's very difficult," Richards told The Associated Press.
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