Antiabortion-Rights Group Operation Rescue Considering Purchase Of Tiller's Clinic

Main Category: Abortion
Article Date: 12 Jun 2009 - 6:00 PDT

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Operation Rescue President Troy Newman on Wednesday said that his group is considering trying to purchase murdered abortion provider George Tiller's Wichita, Kan., clinic, which Tiller's family permanently closed on Tuesday, the New York Times reports. The clinic is owned by Tiller's family. The family's lawyer, Dan Monnat, called Operation Rescue's proposal "just another irreverent, extremist publicity stunt." He declined to comment further on the situation. The family has not announced its plans for the building and land, which are worth $734,100, according to Sedgwick County, Kan., property records.

The clinic has long been a focal point for the antiabortion-rights movement because it was one of the few in the U.S. that offered abortion later in pregnancy. Newman said that he has discussed the possible purchase with only a few members of Operation Rescue's board but is certain that the funds could be raised if they decide to attempt to buy the clinic. Newman also said that one possibility for the location would be to turn it into a memorial museum to serve as "a tribute to the babies." He denied the claim that his comments are a publicity stunt.

According to the Times, the closing of Tiller's clinic has set off a "flurry of concerns" from abortion-rights advocates that it will be more difficult for women to access abortion services in situations when catastrophic health issues are identified late in pregnancy (Davey, New York Times, 6/11). LeRoy Carhart, a Nebraska abortion provider who worked with Tiller at the clinic, said that he will continue to perform third-trimester abortions in Kansas but did not provide information on where he will practice, the AP/Yahoo! News reports. Although he did not provide details, Carhart said that "there will be a place in Kansas for the later second- and the medically indicated third-trimester patients very soon." He said he has seen an increase in patients at his Nebraska clinic since Tiller's murder.

Carhart traveled to Tiller's clinic to perform second- and third-trimester abortions because Kansas has less restrictive abortion laws than Nebraska. Carhart said he has not performed any procedures at his clinic after 22 weeks' gestation because his staff is not trained to do them. According to the AP/Yahoo! News, Nebraska law prohibits abortion when a fetus is considered viable. Kansas law, however, allows abortion after 21 weeks' gestation if continuing the pregnancy would endanger the woman's life or cause "substantial and irreversible impairment" of a major bodily function, which courts have interpreted to include mental health (Gibbs, AP/Yahoo! News, 6/11).

Broadcast Coverage

Three media outlets on Wednesday reported on issues related to Tiller's murder. Summaries appear below.

~ MSNBC's "The Rachel Maddow Show": The program included a discussion with Jennifer Boulanger, executive director for the Allentown Women's Center, about threats to the center since Tiller's murder (Maddow, "The Rachel Maddow Show," MSNBC, 6/10).

~ NPR's "All Things Considered": The program included a discussion with NPR health policy correspondent Julie Rovner about the correct terminology for referring to abortion later in pregnancy and why the phrase "late-term abortion" is inaccurate (Block, "All Things Considered," NPR, 6/10).

~ WBUR's "On Point": The program included a discussion with the Rev. Katherine Ragsdale -- a board member of NARAL Pro-Choice America and the incoming dean and president of Episcopal Divinity School -- and Jim Wallis -- founder and editor of the progressive evangelical group Sojourners -- about abortion-rights supporters' reaction to violence in the antiabortion-rights movement (Ashbrook, "On Point," WBUR, 6/10).

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