BY MIKE CETERA

Planned Parenthood Aurora, in a recent response to a defamation lawsuit filed by the Pro-Life Action League, suggests it has no liability in accusing anti-abortion activists of violence. The women's health care agency, which provides abortions, says it should be protected by a new state law that strengthens First Amendment rights.

PP is arguing, in essence, when it comes to trying to sway a government body, anything goes. To be clear, the agency also is suggesting what it said is true.

The Chicago Reader was the first to report on PP's use of the Citizen Participation Act. Find more about the lawsuit here and here.

BY MIKE CETERA

I wonder if there will come a time when even abortion-rights supporters who live in Aurora will regret that Planned Parenthood set up shop here.

As demonstrated by a lawsuit filed on behalf of Fox Valley Families Against Planned Parenthood, opponents of the clinic have no intention of stopping their efforts to bulldoze the facility.

From a press release:

"Democracy can't work for people if they are denied an opportunity to impact even their own neighborhoods," said Tom Brejcha, Chief Counsel for the Thomas More Society, which is providing legal representation for the homeowners and families involved. "It simply isn't fair to allow any entity, including Planned Parenthood, to operate outside the law."

The lawsuit asks that the Court revoke Planned Parenthood's occupancy permit and that the land be returned to its original condition.

BY MIKE CETERA

Aurora's Zoning Board of Appeals rarely attracts any attention -- from the media or from the public. But tonight, the obscure panel of seven people will be front and center in the debate over the Planned Parenthood Clinic on the city's far East Side.

Opponents of the facility, where abortions are performed, contend Planned Parenthood -- under the name Gemini Office Development -- did not receive proper approvals from the city. They have asked the zoning board to rule that a special-use permit is required, which would rescind PP's occupancy permit and force the issue back before the City Council.

The last time anyone paid any attention to the zoning board was in early 2006 when Our Saviour Lutheran Church went before the board over a dispute regarding its expansion plans for its near West Side building. Prior to that meeting, you'd have to go back to 1991 to find an issue that generated much controversy. Sixteen years ago, the zoning board said Holy Angels Church must amend its special-use permit in order to open a food pantry near its school. A court later ruled in favor of the church, allowing the food pantry to remain open.

So, who makes up the zoning board?

BY MIKE CETERA

Aurora Alderman Chris Beykirch has authored a resolution asking the state to get its act together on parental notification. Find a copy of the resolution here. Read today's story here.

The resolution -- a far more appropriate (and perhaps more legal) response than a proposed ordinance requiring doctors to give a warning of two days before performing a medical procedure on a minor -- basically admonishes the state for not taking the lead on the issue.

A parental notification law approved by lawmakers in 1995 has been tied up in the courts for more than a decade and has never been enforced.

BY DAVE PARRO

UPDATE: Planned Parenthood officials say the clinic will open at 10 a.m. Tuesday.

The city of Aurora has issued an occupancy permit for the Planned Parenthood clinic after its investigation found the organization did not break the law by getting approval under a subsidiary name.

The clinic could open as early as Tuesday, although anti-abortion activists could seek a court order asking for a review of zoning laws. The reports, however, seem to dismiss that argument.

Barring an unforseen event, the clinic will open this week.

BY DAVE PARRO

Attorney Vince Tessitore's contention that Planned Parenthood needs a special-use permit to open its Aurora clinic could prove to be a turning point in this convoluted case. If he's correct, Aurora will have a legal right to bring approval of the facility back before the City Council.

Planned Parenthood is arguing that the special-use permit and required public hearing wasn't necessary because the clinic was approved as a planned development district with underlying medical-use zoning, which is basically an amendment to the zoning map.

If Aurora decides a public hearing is necessary and enough neighboring residents object, the council would need a supermajority vote to grant the special-use permit. There might be enough aldermen who oppose the clinic to vote it down under those rules.

BY DAVE PARRO

UPDATE (Sept. 20): A federal judge will allow the clinic to remain closed while the city completes its review.

It sounds like the start of a bad joke: How many lawyers does it take to find out if Planned Parenthood was deceptive or fraudulent during the city of Aurora approval process?

In the latest twist, Kane County State's Attorney John Barsanti will review the reviews of two independent attorneys hired by the city who later turned out to have conflicts of interest. It has now been more than three weeks since the city announced its investigation.

All of this might be pointless, too, if a federal judge rules Thursday that the city cannot delay the clinic's opening.

BY DAVE PARRO

State Sen. Chris Lauzen, R-Aurora, plans to officially launch his campaign for Congress this week with a three-day, 24-stop tour through the 14th District.

Lauzen, who is seeking to replace retiring Rep. Dennis Hastert, pretty much lays out his campaign strategy by calling his kickoff the "Faith, Family, and the Fruits of Freedom” Tour. The eight-term state senator said those are the pillars he has brought to the General Assembly and will bring to the halls of Congress.

With the Planned Parenthood clinic story getting bigger every day, Lauzen's timing couldn't be better to launch a platform built on those values.

BY DAVE PARRO

UPDATE (Sept. 17): The clinic opening will be delayed until at least Thursday so both sides can make their arguments in court.

UPDATE: (Sept. 14): Planned Parenthood has sued the city of Aurora because city officials have indicated the clinic likely will not open on time because of the attorney review.

(Originally published Sept. 7)

For a couple weeks now, the Sept. 18 opening for the Planned Parenthood clinic in Aurora has seemed in doubt. The response from anti-abortion activists was so loud that the City Council and Mayor Tom Weisner couldn't ignore it. On top of that, the alleged deception on the part of Planned Parenthood gave the city a legitimate reason to pause and review its every move.

Weisner said Thursday that he won't push to have the independent attorney review complete by the Sept. 17 deadline, a day before the clinic is supposed to open. "My intent is to get the facts," he said, before the city issues a final occupancy permit.

Even if it turns out that Planned Parenthood met all the disclosure requirements and the women's health clinic ends up opening, it's important that city officials feel confident in their approval process. If Planned Parenthood has to wait to open its doors for a few days or even a few weeks, that's the price they pay for coming into Aurora in disguise.

BY DAVE PARRO

Two weeks ago, the anti-abortion activists packed the Aurora City Council meeting to protest the Planned Parenthood clinic. After six hours of testimony, the meeting ended at 1:30 a.m.

On Tuesday night, the abortion-rights supporters had their say. This time, the council limited the public-comment period to three hours. Three aldermen voted against the time limit.

The Beacon News praised the City Council two weeks ago for not cutting off debate and criticized the five aldermen who wanted the comments to end at 9 p.m. But at what point does the abortion controversy hijack the city's regular business? Should aldermen continue to hear the same arguments over and over again, even when they're not voting on anything related to the issue?