Planned Parenthood clinic to close Friday in Bettendorf

BETTENDORF - Planned Parenthood of the Heartland announced Wednesday it will close its Bettendorf clinic Friday.

The clinic, open for 18 years, is one of four Planned Parenthood said in May it would close because of the state's decision to cut off family planning funds for organizations that provide abortions.

Republicans in the state Legislature approved the cut during the last legislative session, and former Gov. Terry Branstad signed it into law.

Planned Parenthood closed the other three clinics, in Keokuk, Burlington and Sioux City, in June.

The Bettendorf clinic stopped providing family planning care at that time but still offered abortion services pending the sale of its building.

Planned Parenthood spokeswoman Becca Lee said Wednesday the building has been sold, but she did not identify the buyer.

Planned Parenthood still has eight centers in Iowa, including ones in Cedar Rapids and Iowa City.

Proponents of the change to the state's family planning network say there are ample alternatives for women to receive care.

But Planned Parenthood's president and CEO rejected that claim Wednesday.

'It is absurd that politicians have forced women to travel hours out of their way in order to access basic health care,” Suzanna de Baca said in a statement.

'They attempted to feed Iowans this lie that there are plenty of other places to go for the same care - but women know the truth.”

Brenna Smith, a spokeswoman for Gov. Kim Reynolds, responded Wednesday by saying: 'The governor is proud to have worked with the Iowa Legislature to expand access to women's health care through a state-run family planning program that disallows abortion providers from receiving taxpayer dollars.”

Republicans who gained control of the Statehouse after the 2016 election gave up Medicaid funding for its family planning network and instead substituted state funds, allowing the state to prohibit funding going to Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers.

About a week after the budget that included the change was signed, Planned Parenthood said it would close the four clinics.

At the time, it said the move would affect 14,676 people who had received services at the clinics in the previous three years.