Foundation buys Dr. Tiller’s clinic to bring abortion services back to Wichita

Ever since Dr. Tiller was shot and killed by anti-choice activist Scott Roeder over three years ago, his former clinic has been vacant and Wichita has been without an abortion provider. But that may soon change. The Wichita Eagle reports:

The building that housed the practice of murdered abortion provider George Tiller has been sold to a foundation planning to re-establish abortion services in Wichita, The Eagle has learned.

Documents filed with the Secretary of State’s Office on Tuesday indicate that the Trust Women Foundation is now sole owner of the building at 5107 E. Kellogg that previously housed Tiller’s clinic, Women’s Health Care Services.

The foundation is run by Julie Burkhart, an abortion-rights activist and former Tiller employee. Her group has been working to re-establish a clinic to provide abortions and fill the void left when Tiller was shot to death by an anti-abortion activist in 2009.

This is good news–but probably not the end of the matter. When another doctor was planning to re-establish abortion services in the city, she faced threats from anti-choice activists and resistance from her landlord. And don’t forget that last year Kansas passed onerous new regulations on abortion providers that threatened to shut down every clinic in the state. They’ve been temporarily blocked by the courts–but the fight isn’t over yet.

Hopefully, the pro-choice community in Wichita will rally to support the new clinic and stand strong against the intimidation tactics of the other side.