Director, Commonwealth Policy Center

Planned Parenthood, the government-subsidized “family planning” organization that oversaw over 330,000 abortions throughout the United States in 2012 is poised to inch further into the Commonwealth.  Currently, there are two abortion facilities in Kentucky associated with Planned Parenthood—in Louisville and Lexington.

According to reports, Planned Parenthood of Indiana is looking to merge with Planned Parenthood of Kentucky. As the two organization join forces and budgets, the likelihood of an increased presence grows stronger. “This partnership will ensure that on both sides of the river we will see this organization thriving,” said Betty Cockrum, president and CEO of Indiana Planned Parenthood, in a quote in the Louisville Courier-Journal.

According to a memo from Planned Parenthood obtained by Kentucky Right to Life, "Over the next several months, the merged organization will conduct a study of reproductive health needs throughout Kentucky, said Cockrum. While there are no immediate plans for expansion, Cockrum said clearly there is a need in both Kentucky and Indiana for more services, particularly in more rural areas. The new organization will have a combined budget of $15.5 million. Together, Indiana and Kentucky centers serve more than 80,000 patients."

Indiana Right to Life President and CEO Mike Fichter issued a statement on the proposed planning of additional Planned Parenthood facilities:

“Planned Parenthood of Kentucky currently does not do surgical or chemical abortions, despite Kentucky’s abortion laws being weaker than Indiana’s. This merger will likely result in Planned Parenthood expanding its abortion business south of the Ohio River and driving the abortion rate higher in Kentucky while avoiding Indiana’s abortion laws. We will continue to work with the many organizations offering positive alternatives to abortion so that all women, regardless of where they reside, know they have another option besides ending their unborn child’s life.” (emphasis ours)

According to statistics, the two abortion clinics in Kentucky perform upwards of 400 abortions a month.