A South Bend abortion clinic’s bid to secure a license from the state may turn on its connection to other abortion clinics around the country.

The state denied the clinic’s application earlier this year. And the clinic presented its appeal at a hearing this week.

Whole Woman’s Health Alliance, a non-profit run by a board of directors, wants to open an abortion clinic in South Bend. But the state denied its application because of what it said was incomplete and inaccurate information.

The state points to another group, Whole Woman’s Health LLC. That’s a for-profit business that also runs abortion clinics. The LLC’s owner, Amy Hagstrom Miller, sits on the board of directors at the Alliance. And the LLC provides marketing and public relations for the Alliance.

But Whole Woman’s Health Alliance says it’s not connected to clinics owned by the LLC – which is why its application didn’t list those clinics. The state disagrees – though it didn’t ask the Alliance to further clarify that relationship before it denied the license.

There’s no timetable for a decision on the group’s appeal.