Planned Parenthood in Texas braces for end to state funding

Aug 24 2012

Officials are moving quickly to end state funding for Planned Parenthood, which for now remains a part of the Texas' Women's Health Program despite a judge's ruling that state funds can be stopped while a related lawsuit is pending.

The Associated Press/Houston Chronicle: Planned Parenthood Awaits Funding Cutoff In Texas
Planned Parenthood said Wednesday that Texas clinics are operating like normal for now, even as state officials move to quickly freeze funding after a federal court gave Republican lawmakers a victory in their efforts to punish health providers linked to abortion services. The court ruling allows the state to cut off funding to Planned Parenthood, the largest provider in the Texas Women's Health Program, while a lawsuit over the issue moves forward. But just how fast Texas can sever funding remains unclear. The health program provides family planning and other health services to more than 130,000 low-income women and is designed for those who might not otherwise qualify for Medicaid (Weber, 8/22).

The Texas Tribune: For Now, Planned Parenthood In Women's Health Program
One day after the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals' decision to side with Texas and overturn a temporary injunction that allowed Planned Parenthood clinics to remain in the Women's Health Program, a spokeswoman for a Planned Parenthood provider said that the affiliates involved in the program are "still in the WHP." Planned Parenthood had filed a lawsuit in order to stay in the Women's Health Program. Tuesday's court ruling overturned the injunction, pending a district court hearing in the fall (Tan, 8/22).

In other Planned Parenthood news --

The Oregonian: Providence Health Rejects Portland-Area Guide For The Poor Over Planned Parenthood Tie
Providence Health & Services has halted distribution of a Portland-area resource guide for people in poverty, saying a listing for Planned Parenthood violates policies for the religious-based health care organization. Last week, the newspaper Street Roots, which publishes the Rose City Resource guide, reported that Providence had rejected a shipment of the guide intended for distribution to the public in waiting rooms and other areas. "We were told that they couldn't accept the guide because of Planned Parenthood," said Israel Bayer, publisher of Street Roots. … Providence Health is headed by the Catholic order of the Sisters of Providence. Spokesman Gary Walker confirmed that the guide's inclusion of "abortion services" explained the decision to stop accepting the guide (Budnick, 8/22).