Federal Judge Temporarily Stops Ohio from Diverting Funds from Planned Parenthood to Other Health Care Providers

Planned Parenthood
A district court judge temporarily blocked implementation of Ohio law which would have diverted funds from Planned Parenthood. |

Judge Michael Barret of US District Court in Ohio temporarily blocked a legislation to defund Planned Parenthood for two weeks in response to lawsuit filed by the abortion provider against the state on May 11.

Governor John Kasich had signed a law in February diverting $1.3 million dollars from any entity that carried out abortions to agencies that provide a wider range of health care services for women.

"Ohio's new law terminates funding for Planned Parenthood and other abortion businesses, freeing up money for more widely available and more comprehensive low-cost healthcare options for women and families in the state," Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Counsel Casey Mattox told LifeNews.

The new court order came the same day when the legislation was to take effect to divert funding from the abortion provider.

Ohio was the 10th state to move in the direction of ending or squeezing Planned Parenthood funds.

Last year in October, Ohio Department of Health was prevented from suspending the license of a Cincinnati Planned Parenthood facility when a preliminary injunction was granted to the clinic by the same judge.

Barrett wrote in a 20-page opinion that the law would force Planned Parenthood to "end health care and education programs and terminate employees, depriving thousands of Ohioans of high-quality, affordable health care services and education programs."

"Today, the courts rejected Governor Kasich and Ohio Legislators' attack on people who already have the least access to care. They attempted to block Planned Parenthood patients from care, all in the name of politics. The court just called their bluff. Politicians have no business restricting women's health, and today, the court agreed," said Iris Harvey, CEO of Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio.

However, President of Ohio Right to Life, Mike Gonadakis, said that court's decision went against women who could have received health care services from community clinics.

"It's a delay at best and it clearly demonstrates an overreach by Planned Parenthood," he said.

The bill to defund Planned Parenthood was introduced in Ohio legislature after a series of undercover videos were released by a pro-life organization, Center for Medical Progress, showing an alleged sale of fetal body parts.