For nearly seven months it seems that the City of Pasco has had to deal with a small group of pro-life constituents (and many non-constituents) who opposed Planned Parenthood’s plans to open a new clinic in Pasco.  Planned Parenthood, noting an increase in teen pregnancy and STI’s, found an upward trend.  With no services available on that side of the river, a new clinic was an obvious choice for an area that was alarmingly under-served.  What followed was a bizzare mix of pro-life mania, a misguided planning commission recommendations, stalling, and an eventual council decision approving the clinic.

The new clinics initial permit was rejected after planning commission meetings, filled with pro-life attendee’s, delayed and then rejected the clinics proposed location citing the potential of demonstrations, the adjacent school, and traffic as specific concerns.  Although that turned out to be a thinly veiled argument.  The reality turned out to be more personal beliefs and less about the law.  Opponents of the clinic who showed up at these meetings were actually the most vocal about the potential demonstrations.  The irony there was that they were the very demonstrators who would be the disruption. Adding to that irony, the clinic never planned on providing abortion services - the central argument against Planned Parenthood -  in the first place.

Huh…

After appealing the decision the final say came down to the Pasco City Council who last night approved the clinic’s location.

From the Tri-City Herald

PASCO — The Pasco City Council voted Monday to approve a controversial Planned Parenthood permit application, despite the condemnation of many in the standing-room only crowd.

People flooded out of the council chambers after the 5-2 decision, shouting, “Babies are a gift from the Lord, and you all voted to kill them. All except for two!” and “Hide behind the law!”

Since the meeting was a closed-record hearing, the public was not able to comment, and the council based its decision on testimony and facts submitted to the city’s planning commission earlier this year.

Planned Parenthood of Central Washington appealed the commission’s denial of a special permit for a clinic on Court Street. Planned Parenthood submitted its application in May.

Despite personal feelings about Planned Parenthood, most of the council - generally identified as republican - approved the clinic’s location.  And despite potential personal feelings, it was the law that prevailed.  And the City of Pasco has run aground before.

Although some citizens would like the council to put beliefs before the law, the council can’t do that, Francik said.

The council put community opinion before law in the past when it denied an application by Sunderland Family Treatment Services for a special-use permit to operate an eight-bed crisis center in a home already owned by the agency in 1993, she said.

Sunderland sued, and the Washington state Supreme Court overruled the city.

City residents then paid the cost of both the city and Sunderland’s court and attorney fees, Francik said.

It’s not to say that every council member voted against their personal beliefs.  Reports I’ve received from the decision meeting weren’t so specific.  What was clear was that the decision wasn’t going to be based on threats from a vocal minority but rather adherence to the law.

Councilmen Bob Hoffmann and Tom Larsen cast the dissenting votes.

If it’s any measure, based on the comments in the Herald report it’s a safe bet that this new clinic is widely supported by the Pasco community.  Some of the opponents in the room at last nights decision weren’t even Pasco residents.  As for any political fallout, I highly doubt it.  In fact, many among the council should consider this a political win.

Good on you Pasco.  Good on you.