By Marshall Griffin, KWMU
St. Louis, MO – Governor Matt Blunt has signed the Abortion Omnibus bill into law, which could spell the end for Planned Parenthood clinics in Kansas City and Columbia.
The new law reclassifies abortion clinics as ambulatory surgical centers. Michelle Trupiano, a lobbyist for Planned Parenthood, says the change may force them to spend at least $1.5 million to upgrade their clinic in Columbia by expanding doorways and making other structural changes.
"You know, if we choose to renovate, I would assume that we will be doing a huge fundraising blitz in order to raise that money; at this time we do not have that money," Trupiano said, "because we have not made a decision of whether or not we will remodel."
Governor Blunt, though, calls abortion a serious and sometimes dangerous medical procedure, and any place that performs abortions should meet the same standards as other ambulatory medical centers.
The new law also bars Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers from supplying sex education curriculum to public schools, while abstinence-based coursed will be allowed but not mandated. "I think those that perform abortions in our state need to comply with the same sort of standards, meet the same standards, that other ambulatory surgical centers in our state would meet," Blunt said, in signing the bill. "So I think this is about the safety of Missouri women, and protecting Missouri women from their health and well being, in the aftermath or during what could be a very dangerous medical procedure."
Meanwhile, Planned Parenthood's Kansas City clinic is expected to shut down soon after the new law takes effect on August 28th.