MIDLAND, Texas —
The Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade Friday has left many people in the Permian Basin to wonder about the history of abortion access close to home.
The last Planned Parenthood in our area, located in Midland, shut down in 2013. They had operated in the city for 18 years, according to prior NewsWest 9 coverage.
The center in Odessa shut down the year before, in 2012.
Both clinics closed their doors after a move by former Texas governor Rick Perry that stripped medical providers of funds from a federal program.
That was after a new state law was passed that cut off federal funding to clinics that provided abortions. This also included those that didn’t provide abortions, but associated with groups that provided them.
That meant the closest clinic to offer abortion services was in Lubbock. The other closest centers are five to six hours away in El Paso, the Dallas-Fort Worth area and San Antonio.
Meanwhile, there are no abortion clinics nearby in Southeastern New Mexico, like Lea, Chaves or Eddy counties.
In the meantime, Planned Parenthood in Texas is suspending all abortion services for now so they can consult with their attorneys about the ruling and its wording.
However, they are still open for all other healthcare.