LOUISVILLE- Planned Parenthood isn't giving up their fight to add more abortion services in Kentucky.
The organization filed a motion Thursday to hold the Bevin Administration in contempt of court for denying the organization a license to provide abortion services.
“This starts a conversation that says, we at Planned Parenthood will not be bullied by Bevin. We will not be shut down,” said Tamarra Wieder, Public Affairs and Policy Director for Planned Parenthood Indiana and Kentucky. “Our doors remain wide open, and we will be fighting in this community for a long time so everybody has access to the care that they need.”
The motion says the administration is wrongfully denying the license.
The organization applied for a license in September 2018 after the ruling from Chief District Judge Greg Stivers came down that requiring transfer agreements between hospitals and abortion clinics was unconstitutional. Since then—the administration has not come by to inspect the health center, which is a requirement before granting a license for abortion services.
While there is no set time that the state must come and inspect the facilities, before the Bevin administration, it was usually around 30 days.
“For six months we have been unable to get our license, this is unacceptable,” said Wieder. “This is why we have decided to file contempt orders against the cabinet the Bevin Administration”
Planned Parenthood says the administration wants them to go back to square one.
“Defendants intend to continue delaying and obstructing Planned Parenthood’s licensure, which is why Defendants rejected Planned Parenthood’s proposed compromise that would have avoided the necessity of this motion,” the motion reads.
The Cabinet for Health and Family Services says the cabinet is not doing anything against the law.
In a statement CHFS said, “The legal decision did not give Planned Parenthood an exception from following the licensing process, which it did voluntarily, lost and failed to appeal. The cabinet has taken no action in violation of the legal opinion.”
Despite a slew of laws restricting abortion in the state, Planned Parenthood is hopeful they will continue to be successful in the courts.
“We are winning in the courts, because they have a losing battle,” Wieder said. “They may be empowered because they have Judge Kavanaugh in the Supreme Court. But we also know we have precedence on our side, and that’s something that Roberts has confirmed. That the legacy of the court is important, the precedence of the court is important, and we know that we will succeed.”
If the judge rules in favor of Planned Parenthood then they would be able to begin the inspection process to receive their license to provide abortion services.