DALLAS _ An unnamed Texas donor has promised $9 million to Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas to help construct two new health centers in West Texas within the next year, the nonprofit confirmed this week. The group has not said whether the new clinics would be abortion providers.
Planned Parent has had no clinics to offer abortion or other services in the region since 2013, shortly after Texas passed a law placing tough restrictions on groups that perform abortions.
The laws were eventually struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court. But advocates say the damage had already been done as many clinics did not reopen.
The group, which provides health services such as preventive care, contraception, sexually transmitted disease testing and abortions, has faced an uphill battle over the past few years.
It was forced out of Texas' Women's Health Program in 2011, which left $30 million in federal Medicaid dollars on the table. The state became "ground zero" in a national debate over whether public money should go to abortion providers.
There are currently 35 Planned Parenthood health centers in the state, of which six offer abortions. The majority of its locations are clustered around major metro areas, including Dallas-Fort Worth, San Antonio and Austin.
Two previous centers in West Texas _ in San Angelo and in Midland _ closed in 2013.
The CEO of the Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas, Ken Lambrecht, announced the donation from a longtime supporter and plans for the new West Texas centers during a recent luncheon in Dallas for which the keynote speaker was Cynthia Nixon, an award-winning "Sex and the City" star now running for New York governor. That event, to benefit the Dallas chapter, raised $1.15 million.
However the organization is in the early phase of a broader campaign to raise funds for construction of new facilities and the continued updating of existing ones.
Besides the $9 million dollar gift, a separate donor has committed $800,000. The construction timeline and specific locations of the two centers have not been determined.
