Planned Parenthood building clinic in Alabama despite abortion law

Planned Parenthood is building a new clinic in Birmingham, Ala., despite a new law that will ban nearly all abortions in the state.

The facility will be completed around November, which is around the time the new law is expected to go into effect, according to The Associated Press.

A Planned Parenthood spokeswoman told the AP that the law and opponents of the organization were not part of its decision to build the clinic.

“We are a doctor that Birmingham has counted on for decades, and we are committed to continuing to provide that care,” said Planned Parenthood Southeast spokeswoman Barbara Ann Luttrell. 

She added that she hopes the courts will prevent Alabama’s law from taking effect by the time the facility is set to open. Besides abortion, the organization will also provide birth control, cancer testing and sexually transmitted disease screenings, Luttrell told the AP.

The clinic’s construction began in January, and Luttrell said there was “absolutely no slowdown due to the legislative session.” 

Opponents have said they will try to get the Alabama Department of Public Health to deny a license for the new facility, and they have tried to persuade contractors not to work on the building, Rev. Terry Gensemer of Metro Birmingham Life Forum told the AP. 

“It was surprising when we found out that they were going to build this,” said Gensemer. “My question is after the bill passage, why are they continuing to be so aggressive when the possibility exists that they won’t be able to be in business?”

Luttrell said Planned Parenthood is following the law, however, “so there should be no reason we would not be granted a license.”

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey (R) last month signed a law that would ban abortion in all cases except when the mother’s life is in danger.