Update [ed. This judicial unraveling of state laws and states’ rights is happening at an increasing rate. Several states which defunded Planned Parenthood are being FORCED to fund this ‘non-profit’ life-destroying organization.]
A federal court temporarily thwarted Utah’s efforts to defund Planned Parenthood on Wednesday amid outrage about the abortion giant selling aborted babies’ body parts.
The disappointing decision by the 10th U.S. Circuit Court reverses a federal judge’s ruling last week that gave Utah Gov. Gary Herbert the okay to take away taxpayer funding from the abortion group, The Hill reports.
The court’s temporary injunction will remain in place until it hears the challenge by Planned Parenthood’s Utah affiliate, according to the report.
Despite the temporary setback, Herbert spokesman Jon Cox said in a statement on Wednesday that they hope to achieve a victory in the end.
“The governor is confident that once the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals has the opportunity to look closely at the legal issues in this case, like Judge Waddoups, they will reach the same decision and agree that it is contrary to the public’s best interest to remove the governor’s discretion to make contract decisions on behalf of the state,” he said.
The Utah abortion affiliate receives about $275,000 in taxpayer funding each year.
Herbert previously said he plans to redirect the funding to community health providers “to provide the same kind of health care to women that Planned Parenthood was doing” – without funding abortions.
Read remainder of article at link below.
[31 Dec 2015, http://www.lifenews.com/2015/12/31/court-forces-utah-to-fund-planned-parenthood-even-after-it-sells-aborted-baby-parts/ ]
Judge Lets Utah De-Fund Planned Parenthood After It Sold Aborted Baby Parts
Cutting purse strings does not interfere with any ‘independent constitutional right’
In a victory for the pro-life movement, a federal judge allowed Utah to begin de-funding the abortion business Planned Parenthood on Tuesday. The Utah affiliate of Planned Parenthood sued the state in September after pro-life Gov. Gary Herbert ordered the state health department to cut off federal funding to the abortion group. U.S. District Judge Clark Waddoups ruled Tuesday that Herbert’s order could move forward.
(National Review) In the wake of video disclosures earlier this year that Planned Parenthood employees appeared to be engaging in the sale of body parts obtained through abortions, Utah governor Gary Herbert ordered state agencies to end the practice of funneling federal grants to Planned Parenthood’s Utah affiliate.
This required the state to end or not renew four contracts with Planned Parenthood — contracts involving sex education and testing for sexually transmitted diseases. Other states made similar decisions. But Planned Parenthood of Utah immediately sued, asking for a temporary injunction.
Their argument was that the decision to end the contracts was motivated by the governor’s opposition to abortion and had the effect of infringing the Utah affiliate’s constitutional rights to associate with other affiliates and to promote abortion.
Read more at these links:
http://mobile.wnd.com/2015/12/federal-court-utah-can-defund-planned-parenthood/ and…
http://www.lifenews.com/2015/12/23/judge-lets-utah-de-fund-planned-parenthood-after-it-sold-aborted-baby-parts/
Alleged Medicaid Fraud at Planned Parenthood in Texas
[UPDATE: Obama Administration is forcing TX to continue Medicaid funding to PP, despite admissions of fraud.]
At least one Planned Parenthood site in Texas has until the end of the week to answer a subpoena from state health investigators.
Health officials last week ordered four sites to turn over hundreds of pages of staff and patient records, but pro-life supporters argue it had nothing to do with undercover videos revealing the sale of fetal tissue.
“There were admissions of over-billing and fraud, and that disqualifies them from the Medicaid contract,” says John Seago at Texas Right to Life.
The inspections came just days after Gov. Greg Abbott and state health officials decided to cut Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood.
“I’m glad the original letter cited there was Medicaid fraud and I think that’s the best avenue to go in order to show Planned Parenthood does not deserve our taxpayer dollars,” he says.
Even if Planned Parenthood does lose Medicaid funding from Texas, Seago says those on Medicaid will still be treated.
“No women are being disqualified from receiving this preventative care,” he says. “Texas has adopted the model of sending these women to more comprehensive clinics.”
Seago expects a lengthy legal battle as Planned Parenthood tries to hold onto it’s share of the state’s Medicaid funding.
[Houston News, iHeartMedia’s Nik Rajkovic, http://m.ktrh.com/articles/houston-news-121300/alleged-medicaid-fraud-at-planned-parenthood-14065157/ ]
Texas Gov Greg Abbott Defends De-Funding Planned Parenthood: They’re Lawbreakers
http://www.lifenews.com/2015/10/20/texas-gov-greg-abbott-defends-de-funding-planned-parenthood-theyre-lawbreakers/