Planned Parenthood closes Albert Lea, 5 other Minn. clinics
Published 2:37 pm Tuesday, June 21, 2011
The state’s largest provider of family planning and abortions says it will soon close six Minnesota clinics.
Planned Parenthood says federal budget cuts will cause it to close clinics in Albert Lea, Brainerd, Fairmont, Owatonna, Red Wing and Thief River Falls on Aug. 1. The agency says the clinics provide family planning and disease testing, but don’t perform abortions. Planned Parenthood has 18 other clinics in Minnesota, including the St. Paul location where nearly one-third of the state’s 12,388 abortions were performed in 2009.
The agency cites an 11 percent reduction in its budget because of cuts to the federal Title X program. Minnesota received about $3.5 million a year in Title X funds.