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Council Bluffs, Iowa, November 23, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The Council Bluffs City Council in Iowa unanimously voted last night to shut down any plans late-term abortionist Leroy Carhart may have had to set up shop in the town.

Pro-life supporters packed the meeting last night to voice opposition to the announced plans of Carhart, who has said he wants to open up a late-term abortion mill there.

The abortionist has been forced to seek other locations for his late-term abortion business after Nebraska passed a fetal pain bill that banned abortions after 20 weeks, when the pre-born baby is believed to feel pain. Carhart is also interested in taking over an existing abortion facility in Indiana, where he has worked part-time for years, and Maryland.

Iowa Right to Life and other groups mobilized over 300 people to turn out to the meeting after rumors began to circulate that Carhart may have been interested in purchasing a city-owned lot for his proposed new Council Bluffs clinic.

The City Council, however, voted to sell the property only with the condition that it not be used for an abortion clinic.

While Carhart continues to raise money for the Council Bluffs facility, which he says is tentatively scheduled to open in January, Mayor Tom Hanafan told the crowd at last evening’s meeting that no one has approached the city for the needed permits for an abortion clinic.

During the meeting, Councilman Mike Shultz stated that the council had over the years tried to make the community a “positive place to work and live,” adding, “I think the council is unified on this. We’ll try to do what we can to prevent this type of activity,” according to the Associated Press.

“Carhart is desperate to relocate his late-term abortion business, because that is the only way he can make money,” said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman. “Carhart is a notoriously poor businessman who seems to be in constant financial distress. He doesn’t have the money to open in Council Bluffs right now, and this strong show of community opposition will make it even harder for him to move there, if he ever were to get the money.”

Last year, Carhart vowed to open a late-term abortion clinic within 25 miles of Wichita, Kansas, but failed to do so when Operation Rescue successfully blocked his efforts there.