A representative of Planned Parenthood of Central North Carolina says she’s concerned about Thursdays’ Supreme Court ruling that 35-foot buffer zones for abortion clinics in Massachusetts violate free speech rights.

“Planned Parenthood is concerned about the ruling, because patient privacy and safety is our number-one priority,” says Director of Public Affairs Alison Kiser. “But we continue to be committed to helping women access health care without fear of intimidation or harassment.”

Kiser says that because North Carolina does not have a state law that creates buffer zones to prevent anti-abortion protesters from getting too close to clinics and patients, organizations such as Planned Parenthood rely on local ordinances and police departments to keep order.

In the case of the Planned Parenthood facility in Chapel Hill, protesters who pray in front of the building on weekends are required to stay on the public sidewalk, and are forbidden to enter Planned Parenthood’s private property.

“We have very good relationships with local police departments where are health centers are,” says Kiser, “and we’ve been very fortunate not to have any problems in North Carolina with protesters coming on private property.”

Kiser says she’s not too worried about people misinterpreting the Supreme Court ruling to mean that they can now get closer to the Chapel Hill facility while protesting.

“It’s something that we’ll certainly want to keep an eye on, and that we’re very concerned about,” says Kiser, “since we do want to protect the women seeking our safe and legal and legal abortion services.”

Kiser says that protesters in Chapel Hill have generally been respectful and quiet. She adds that many of Planned Parenthood’s health centers are set up so that patients can park and enter in a way that they can avoid protesters in front of buildings.

Related Stories
‹
What To Know About States Blocking Medicaid Funding for Planned Parenthood
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Thursday that states can bar Medicaid payments to Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion provider.
Planned Parenthood Announces $10 Million Voter Campaign in North Carolina for 2024 Election
Planned Parenthood affiliated groups in North Carolina announced on Thursday a $10 million campaign in the state that largely focuses on persuading people concerned about narrowing abortion access to vote in November.
NC Clinics Want Nurses To Offer Medication-Induced Abortions
Written by GARY D. ROBERTSON With both abortions in North Carolina and the number of out-of-state clinic patients soaring after Roe v. Wade was struck down, judges should permit more trained health professionals to prescribe pills for medication-induced abortions, plaintiffs in a lawsuit wrote on Monday. Abortion providers, medical workers and an abortion-rights group awaiting […]
Planned Parenthood Pours $5M Into Vital North Carolina Races
Written by HANNAH SCHOENBAUM Planned Parenthood’s political arm announced a $5 million investment Thursday in North Carolina’s battleground races as Democrats fight to preserve the governor’s veto power in one of the last abortion access points in the Southeast. Just 32 days from Election Day, with absentee voting now underway, Planned Parenthood Votes and Planned Parenthood Action […]
Judge Reinstates North Carolina’s 20-Week Abortion Ban
Written by HANNAH SCHOENBAUM Abortions in North Carolina are no longer legal after 20 weeks of pregnancy, a federal judge ruled Wednesday, eroding protections in one of the South’s few remaining safe havens for reproductive freedom. U.S. District Judge William Osteen reinstated an unenforced 20-week abortion ban, with exceptions for urgent medical emergencies, after he […]
Planned Parenthood To Spend Record $50M in Midterm Elections
Written by BRIAN SLODYSKO Planned Parenthood, the nation’s leading reproductive health care provider and abortion rights advocacy organization, plans to spend a record $50 million ahead of November’s midterm elections, pouring money into contests where access to abortion will be on the ballot. The effort, which breaks the group’s previous $45 million spending record set in […]
NC Governor Signs Executive Order Protecting Abortion Access
Written by HANNAH SCHOENBAUM North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper signed an executive order Wednesday shielding out-of-state abortion patients from extradition and prohibiting state agencies under his control from assisting other states’ prosecutions of those who travel for the procedure. Cooper joined a growing number of Democratic governors seeking to offer sanctuary in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court […]
Addressing Taboo Topics: Abortion Access in North Carolina
In light of a new Texas law outlawing abortion as early as six weeks into a pregnancy, in this edition of Addressing Taboo Topics we take a look at abortion access in North Carolina and how more restrictive legislation bars residents from essential healthcare services.
Barrett Back on Capitol Hill for Senators’ Final Questions
Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett returned to Capitol Hill for a third day of confirmation hearings Wednesday as senators dig deeper into the conservative judge’s outlook on abortion, health care and a potentially disputed presidential election — the Democrats running out of time to stop Republicans pushing her quick confirmation. Barrett has been batting away questions in […]
States Step Up Funding for Planned Parenthood Clinics
Several states have begun picking up the tab for family planning services at clinics run by Planned Parenthood, which last year quit a $260 million federal funding program over a Trump administration rule prohibiting clinics from referring women for abortions. States including New Jersey, Massachusetts and Hawaii already are providing new funding, and Democratic governors […]
›