State approves abortion license for Central Texas clinic - KXXV Central Texas News Now

The Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas plans to start performing abortions again, after the state approved their license for the procedure.

Waco's Planned Parenthood lost it's license to perform the procedure after the Texas legislature passed House Bill 2, in 2013. The law required abortion clinics to meet hospital-like standards.

"Our health center in Waco stopped providing abortion services because we were not able to meet the requirements that the law had," Sarah Wheat with Planned Parenthood said. "Right now, our Waco health center's open -- it provides birth control, and EKG test, and treatment for STDs, [and] cervical cancer screenings." 

Just this past summer, the supreme court threw HB2 out, making way for the Waco clinic to apply for their license. 

"We got the license for our Ross Avenue clinic -- the abortion license -- but that's only one of the steps that we need to have in place before we can offer those services for women in the Waco area," Wheat said. "We started the process of obtaining the permits and licensing, and installing new equipment, hiring staff, and all the steps we need to do be able to once again provide safe legal abortion services in Waco."

Although some may see the service returning to Waco as a good thing, John Pisciotta with Pro-Life Waco said it's dreadful.

"Certainly there were women in Waco still having abortions, but it wasn't in your backyard," Pisciotta said. "It is a deep regret that this will return to Waco."

Pisciotta said although he's discouraged that abortions will once again be performed in Waco, he has a plan in place to try to convince women not to go through with the procedure. 

"[We plan] to let women know there's another choice, we'll have literature out here that will be part of the outreach of Pro-Life Waco," Pisciotta said. "I hope and pray that in this community we will proclaim that we do not want abortions to return to our city."

Wheat said there is not a set date for when the service will return to Waco, but that they hope to be able to provide abortions by the end of 2017.

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