BATON ROUGE - Planned Parenthood, a reproductive health clinic that has constantly been at the center of controversy due to listing abortions as one of the services it provides, will cease its operations in Louisiana.

The nonprofit, which has operated in the state for more than 40 years, sent a letter to its staff Friday saying clinics in Louisiana would close on Sept. 30 due to a lack of access to federal funding.

Planned Parenthood's Louisiana clinics provide birth control, tests for sexually transmitted diseases, cancer screenings and other health care services. Over the past year, the organization provided care to more than 10,600 patients. They have never been licensed to provide abortions in the state.

Richard Mahoney, who spent 40 years protesting outside of abortion clinics, say

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