Recent Activities

Pro-Choice Rally a Huge Success!

On the evening of September 25, nearly 300 Planned Parenthood supporters gathered at the Aurora City Council meeting to support the opening of our health centers.  Supporters created a sea of pink in front of  City Hall.

At the height of it, we had about 250-300 people there and we outnumbered the anti-choice demonstrators by around 2 to 1. People driving by on the street were honking and waving and our chants and screams were the only thing that could be heard for blocks in any direction.

It's not over yet--our supports are still out there strong at Aurora City Hall waving signs and acting as a very visable (and audible) demonstration to Aurora city officials that we will not go away until the Aurora Health Center is open for business!

Watch videos from the rally on our Aurora You Tube Channel

View photos of the rally on our flickr stream.

Statement of Steve Trombley
President and CEO, Planned Parenthood/Chicago Area
September 20, 2007

Today's ruling by Judge Norgle means that Planned Parenthood will be back in court to present additional material, facts and information that substantiate our request for an injunction to open our Aurora Health Center. Unfortunately today's ruling means that, yet again, we will have to reschedule appointments for our patients.

Our main concern is that every day our health center is not open, more women go without pap tests, birth control supplies and breast exams. These are critical services that this community has been lacking and that we will provide.

We anticipate being back in court shortly, and as per the judge's recommendation, we intend to amend our complaint. Judge Norgle's ruling was very narrow in its scope and he encouraged us to amend our filing and represent our case. In his words, "This case is far from over."

We are confident that when the additional material is reviewed, our health center will be allowed to open its doors.


Planned Parenthood/Chicago Area Calls on City of Aurora to Release Reports by Luetkehans, Martens
September 19, 2007

Planned Parenthood/Chicago Area today called on the City of Aurora to release reports prepared by two outside attorneys into the permitting process for its new health center at the same time they are forwarded to yet another attorney chosen by the City to look into the matter.

Steve Trombley, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood/Chicago Area (PP/CA), said whatever the two outside attorneys have found to date, including documentation provided to them, should be released to the public before being transmitted to Kane County State's Attorney John Basanti.

"We've all waited long enough. All parties involved in this dispute deserve to know what these two outside attorneys found. Like everybody else involved in this matter, we want to know what these outside legal reviews have determined," said Trombley. "In the meantime, the women of Kane, DuPage, Kendall and Will counties are waiting for our health center to open and provide vitally needed reproductive care services."


Aurora City Council Motion to Dismiss Injunction is Denied
Monday, September 17

A judge today denied the City of Aurora's motion to dismiss PP/CA's injunction barring the City of Aurora from preventing the scheduled September 18 opening.

PP/CA will return to the courtroom on Thursday morning to present Judge Norgle with additional evidence as to why he should grant Planned Parenthood/Chicago Area an injunction to open our health center in Aurora.

We believe that City of Aurora has no legal basis for blocking the opening of the facility and that its revocation of a temporary operating permit is motivated solely by political opposition to the constitutionally protected right to abortion services.

Every day the Aurora center is not open, we cannot provide much-needed, affordable and accessible health care services to the women of Kane, DuPage, Kendall and Will Counties.


Day of Prayer in Support of Planned Parenthood
Sunday, September 16

Religions leaders led congregations in a Day of Prayer in support of Planned Parenthood and the community it will serve.

Faith-based communities called for a Day of Prayer to end the harassment and intimidation Planned Parenthood, its employers and its supporters have faced in opening the new heath care center in Aurora.

Pro-choice religious leaders gathered on Wednesday to announce the Day of Prayer at a press conference at the Chicago Temple. Nearly a dozen clergy gathered from various denominations to support Planned Parenthood and declare that you can be pro-faith and pro-choice.


Planned Parenthood/Chicago Area Seeks Federal Court Order Allowing Aurora Health Center to Open as Scheduled
Thursday, September 13

Planned Parenthood/Chicago Area filed a request in U.S. District Court asking the Court to issue an injunction barring the City of Aurora from preventing the scheduled September 18 opening.

The City revoked a temporary occupancy permit issued on August 16 pending completion of a review of the permitting process that won't likely be completed until after September 18.

The fining stated that "Aurora's actions...are not related to any legitimate municipal concern, but instead are motivated solely by political opposition to the fact the Planned Parenthood provides abortion services as part of a broad range of health care services for its patients."

The City of Aurora's refusal to allow Planned Parenthood to open pending a review of the permitting process is "both undefined in scope and indefinite in nature," argued PP/CA. Without intervention by the Court, "Planned Parenthood may never be able to operate its facility in Aurora."

In seeking the injunction, PP/CA argued that it would win on the merits at a full trial, and that the injunction is necessary to prevent irreparable harm to patients seeking reproductive health services and to Planned Parenthood.

"Patients in the western suburbs of Chicago would have to travel more than 70 miles round trip to obtain services from the nearest Planned Parenthood facility. Many of the patients who have neither the means nor the time for this travel would be effectively denied health care as a result of the City of Aurora's conduct," PP/CA argues in its request for the injunction.

Steve Trombley, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood/Chicago Area, says many patients already have scheduled Aurora health center visits on September 18.

"Should we tell them that the City Council needs more time to determine whether they should be allowed access to the reproductive health care they need and are entitled to receive?" he asked.


City Council Meeting
Tuesday, September 11

Donning pink shirts and waving PP/CA signs, over 150 Planned Parenthood supporters came to Tuesday's City Council meeting to show their support for the new full-service health care center in Aurora.

Community members -parents, religious leaders, and men and women from Aurora attended the meeting to voice their support for the new facility Numerous residents spoke to the City Council and expressed a need for reproductive healthcare in Aurora and throughout the neighboring communities. Some told personal stories of their positive experiences at Planned Parenthood, others spoke about the lack of accessible reproductive health care in the community. One common message prevailed - Aurora residents deserve high quality, affordable health care.

As the sun set, many supporters stood outside city hall in solidarity. When asked why she was still outside late into the evening, one woman said, "I am here for all of the women who support this center but could not be here tonight. For the women who are at work, the women at home with their children, the women who fear the harassing tactics of our opponents. I am here for them, but I am also here for me."

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