Priest asks city not to renew lease with family planning clinic

[Abyssinia]

The Reverend Jim Brokman asked the City Council Monday to consider not renewing its lease with Northeast Iowa Community Action Corporation’s family planning clinic.

His request follows on the heels of a request by NEICAC two weeks ago to establish a barrier between protestors of the clinic and clients who enter the office on the town’s Main Street. Brokman, who serves St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Fayette, alleged that NEICAC’s mission “will bring problems to families of this community.”

newspapersoffayettecounty.com/articles/2011/03/09/news/doc4d764e5019b68886246407.txt

 

[Dale_M]

This is an unusual situation, for several reasons. First, its a small town in rural Iowa. Its population is 1,300 and the closest metro area (either Dubuque or Waterloo, Iowa) is 80 miles away.

Second, the clinic doesn’t provide abortions, although it may provide referrals. Its website lists four such clinics, all of them are a three hour drive distance from Fayette.

Third, the picketing seems to be over contraception. Of course, that is consistent with Catholic teaching, but I guess I have never heard of protests over the issue.
the article:

Fayette Police Chief Dusty Dunn said he was contacted by an FBI agent in Cedar Rapids, who read about the issue in the newspaper.

The agent advised Dunn of a federal law, “Freedom of Access to Clinics” which makes it unlawful to intimidate a person because he/she obtains reproductive health services.

“If they would stay 10-15 feet from the door, we would not be having this discussion,” said Dunn.

Brokman admitted that the protestors initially stood across the street until there was a complaint from a business there.

I haven’t been in Fayette in several years, but my guess is that the clinic is in an old storefront and that there doesn’t seem to be any room for demonstrators to assemble without obstructing some entrance and yet still be near the clinic.