Update: Federal Judge Myron Thompson Forces Alabama to Fund PP, and to Pay Court Costs (Nov 2015)… Other states also being forced to fund PP by judicial pressure.
The Obama administration this week warned Alabama and Louisiana their Medicaid funding could be in jeopardy after their respective governors canceled contracts with Planned Parenthood clinics in the wake of the recent revelations the abortion provider is selling the organs and body parts of aborted babies.
Planned Parenthood currently receives more than $500 Million annually nationwide in federal funding, mostly through Medicaid reimbursements.
It is through the mechanism of Medicaid—whose funding is controlled through the states—that some red state governors, including Governor Bentley and Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, have begun their own efforts to defund abortion providers.
Eight other states besides Alabama ban all state family planning money from going to locations which provide abortions, including Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Indiana, Louisiana, Ohio, Texas, and Wisconsin.
But Kevin Griffis, a spokesman for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, said Thursday that the federal Medicaid agency has notified the states of the possible violation of federal law.
“Longstanding Medicaid laws prohibit states from restricting individuals who have coverage through Medicaid from receiving care from a qualified provider,” Griffis said.
“By restricting which provider a woman could choose to receive care from, women could lose access to critical preventive care, such as cancer screenings.”
“The Governor will not be threatened by the Federal Government over this issue,” said Governor Bentley spokeswoman Jennifer Ardis.
“The contract with Planned Parenthood allows either party to terminate on 15 days written notice. The deplorable practices at Planned Parenthood have been exposed to Americans, and the Governor terminated any association with the organization in Alabama. As a doctor and Alabama’s Governor, the issue of human life, from conception to birth and beyond, is extremely important to him. He respects human life, and he does not want Alabama to be associated with an organization that does not.”
According to a report from TheHill.com, a spokesman for Governor Jindal, the state and its Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH) are standing by its decision as well.
During the first Special Session the Alabama Legislature lawmakers considered legislation making it a Class B felony to offer or accept money for aborted babies or parts of aborted babies.
“The nation is shocked by videos depicting Planned Parenthood employees callously discussing the dismemberment of babies and the sale of baby body parts for profit. This is like a story out of Nazi Germany,” said Sen. Bill Hightower (R-Mobile) during a committee hearing on the bill.
“The federal authorities may allow this type of thing, but Alabama won’t – and upon final passage, Alabama will have a law that reflects Alabama’s values.” The bill died without a final vote earlier this week.
[13 Aug 2015, Montgomery, AL, http://yellowhammernews.com/politics-2/obama-administration-threatens-alabama-with-loss-of-medicaid-funds-after-defunding-planned-parenthood/ ]
Arkansas Defunds Planned Parenthood in Light of Baby Parts Scandal
In the aftermath of now six videos exposing Planned Parenthood’s trafficking of baby body parts, Arkansas has joined a handful of states to defund the abortion business. The state follows the example of Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Alabama, which also ended Medicaid contracts with Planned Parenthood.
[14 Aug 2015, http://liveactionnews.org/arkansas-defunds-planned-parenthood-in-light-of-baby-parts-scandal/ ]
Utah becomes fifth state to distance itself from Planned Parenthood
…Gov. Gary Herbert has ordered all state agencies to stop funneling federal funds to the Planned Parenthood Association of Utah.
The federal government provides grants to Planned Parenthood, which are distributed through the Utah Department of Health. Utah law bars any organization from using state funds for abortions, and that prohibition extends to Planned Parenthood’s federal grants, Herbert said in a statement Friday afternoon. …
[16 Aug 2015, http://liveactionnews.org/breaking-utah-becomes-fifth-state-to-distance-itself-from-planned-parenthood/ ]
New Hampshire Denies Funding to Planned Parenthood
The New Hampshire Executive Council voted 3-2 this week to deny funds to Planned Parenthood. That means the group will not be receiving about $650,000 of state taxpayer money.
Bryan McCormack of Cornerstone Action, one of CitizenLink’s alliance of nearly 40 state-based family policy councils, said federal tax dollars will continue to come in to the abortion seller.
“That’s something we’ll continue to pay attention to,” he said, “because in the past they have done that. They have actually, once the state funding has ended, they’ve gone in and filled that gap with federal dollars.”
The executive council is a unique form of governance, working alongside the governor and given enumerated powers by the state Constitution.
Chris Sununu, a pro-abortion Republican member of the executive council, said he voted for defunding because women deserve to have other options.
“I’ve supported Planned Parenthood in the past to provide these services,” he told Washington Times, “but there are some women who just don’t want to support them, because they’re too controversial. There’s too much ethical and legal scrutiny surrounding this organization right now for the state to just keep doing business with them.”
[6 Aug 2015, Citizen, https://www.citizenlink.com/help-achieve-pro-family-election-victories-in-2016/?redirect_to=/2015/08/06/new-hampshire-denies-funding-to-planned-parenthood/ ]
Alabama Defunds Planned Parenthood
Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley announced today his state would no longer send taxpayer dollars to Planned Parenthood.
“The deplorable practices at Planned Parenthood have been exposed to Americans, and I have decided to stop any association with the organization in Alabama,” Bentley said in a statement. “As a doctor and Alabama’s Governor, the issue of human life, from conception to birth and beyond, is extremely important. I respect human life and do not want Alabama to be associated with an organization that does not.”
Three states have now taken steps to end all state funding of Planned Parenthood. Louisiana and New Hampshire have also defunded.
“Not one more penny should go to Planned Parenthood,” said Alliance Defending Freedom attorney Casey Mattox. “Governor Bentley should therefore be commended for ending the use of state taxpayer dollars for such barbarism. Our tax dollars instead should fund local public health clinics, which outnumber Planned Parenthood locations more than 10 to 1 and are not tainted by constant scandals and misdeeds. America doesn’t need Planned Parenthood.”
[6 August 2015, https://www.citizenlink.com/2015/08/06/alabama-defunds-planned-parenthood/ ]