Planned Parenthood confirmed on Jan. 31, Sunday, that the Kentucky government, led by former Gov. Steve Beshear, granted permission for its Louisville clinic to start performing abortions. The statement was a response to Gov. Matt Bevin's claims that it is doing the procedure illegally.
Bevin shut down the clinic Friday, Jan. 29, when his officials discovered that the clinic is allegedly performing abortions illegally, Life News reported. The clinic applied for a license late in 2015. It is still in the process of obtaining the license when it has been doing medical and surgical abortions beginning this year.
Stephen Pitt, general counsel for Bevin, said that although the Beshear administration gave permission to Planned Parenthood, it should have informed Bevin's administration about its pending license application. The clinic refuted Bevin's claims by Sunday, The Courier-Journal reported the same day.
"We in no way, shape or form would contemplate offering abortion procedures in anything but a legal environment," Betty Cockrum, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky, was cited as saying.
Jessica Ditto, Bevin's spokeswoman, still maintain its charge that the clinic is offering abortions illegally as the license is not yet granted. "They didn't go through the proper procedure and that's why we're taking such a strong stance," she was cited as saying.
Planned Parenthood submitted the license application on Nov. 19. Bevin, a Republican official, was elected on Nov. 3, although he took office on Dec. 8, National Journal reported.
The email exchanges revealed by Planned Parenthood indicated that Beshear advised the clinic to open before obtaining the license. The reason was that government inspectors, who are set to have an unannounced visit to the clinic, need to see the existence of the establishment and that the clinic is operating properly before granting a license, the news site reported. The exchanges were between Maryellen Mynear, the former inspector general with the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, and Planned Parenthood lawyer Carole Christian.
