Randall Williams, the director of DHSS, said the decision was based on the fact that of 30 deficiencies found in the department's review of the clinic, only four have since been addressed by Planned Parenthood.

He did not list all 30 deficiencies, but gave reported examples that included an instance where the doctor who performed the pre-operative review of the patient was not the one to perform the surgery itself, which goes against state laws. He also gave reported examples of two patients who had failed abortions and had to have multiple procedures.

Williams was asked if the denial of their license was influenced by political pressure, and he said "absolutely not."

"In the regulatory environment, our north star is always the individual," he said, adding, "We never let anything interfere with the basic patient care that a patient is receiving."

Is it possible Dr. Williams is lying? I suppose so, but it seems unlikely.

While it's unfortunate that this is the only abortion provider in the state, that doesn't mean they can just ignore basic safety regulations.