“It is the public policy of the state of OH to prefer childbirth over abortion, and we should be allowed to allocate funds accordingly”.
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You can read the judge’s ruling below.
Planned Parenthood officials are applauding the decision.
“That money is mostly federal and supports initiatives that provide HIV tests, cancer screenings and other prevention services”, the AP explained.
The defense has also asked the judge to notify them before the state hospital takes any steps to force medicate Dear.
In February, lawmakers gave final approval and Gov. John Kasich subsequently signed into law legislation requiring the Ohio Department of Health to ensure public funds are being used for their intended goal – the legislation lists breast and cervical cancer, HIV/AIDS initiatives and other specific programs – and not for abortions.
Planned Parenthood cheered the ruling as a victory for access to health care services.
“Politicians have no business blocking patients from the care they need – and today the court stopped them in their tracks”, said Iris Harvey, the head of Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio. As I reported a year ago, some officials warned that the bill could have had severe public health consequences for Ohio.
“As was the case in Roe v. Wade, yet again, an activist judge is fabricating “rights” out of thin air to the benefit of the abortion industry”.
An interesting decision out of Ohio.
“A long line of precedent confirms that the state may not seek to leverage its control of public funds to coerce funding recipients to relinquish their constitutional rights in this manner”, the organization said in the lawsuit. She calls it a win for Ohioans who rely on Planned Parenthood for necessary health services. But the state’s attorneys say OH gets to choose how to spend the public’s money.
The restrictions, which had been slated to take effect in May, were signed by Republican Gov. John Kasich during his failed presidential bid.
Judge Barrett had originally placed the law on hold in May and has temporarily extended his stay since then while he presided over hearings.
The state’s attorneys had argued Planned Parenthood was trying to override state policy choices, and no entity has a constitutional right to receive public money.
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Dear told investigators he attacked the clinic because of his anti-abortion stance. But lawmakers were not dissuaded, even after a Texas grand jury in January found no wrongdoing by the abortion provider and instead indicted the anti-abortion activist who filmed the videos. Those charges later were dropped.
