Court: Texas can cut off Planned Parenthood funds
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - A federal appeals court ruled Tuesday that Texas can cut off funding for Planned Parenthood clinics that provide health services to low-income women before a trial over a new law that bans state money from going to organizations tied to abortion providers.
The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans lifted a federal judge's temporary injunction calling for the funding to continue pending an October trial on Planned Parenthood's challenge to the law.
Texas officials sought to cut off funding to Planned Parenthood clinics that provide family planning and health services to poor women after the state's Republican-led Legislature passed a law banning funds to organizations linked to abortion providers. No state money goes to pay for abortions.
Planned Parenthood sued, saying the law violates its free speech rights. The Texas attorney general argued lawmakers may decide which organizations receive state funds.
The judge in Austin recently ruled that the funding should continue pending the trial on Planned Parenthood's lawsuit, saying there's sufficient evidence the state's law is unconstitutional.
The appeals court's decision comes as conservative groups across the nation try to pass and enforce laws to put Planned Parenthood out of business and make getting an abortion more difficult. Earlier this year the same court upheld a new Texas law requiring doctors to perform a sonogram and provide women with a detailed description of the fetus before carrying out an abortion.
The latest battle involves the Texas Women's Health Care Program, which is designed to provide services to women who might not otherwise qualify for Medicaid. The state paid for roughly $5 million for the program with the federal government paying $35 million.
The federal Commission on Medicare and Medicaid Services, however, warned Texas against banning groups from the program based on their political activities and the federal government cut funding. Gov. Rick Perry has promised the state will pick up the extra cost
The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans lifted a federal judge's temporary injunction calling for the funding to continue pending an October trial on Planned Parenthood's challenge to the law.
Texas officials sought to cut off funding to Planned Parenthood clinics that provide family planning and health services to poor women after the state's Republican-led Legislature passed a law banning funds to organizations linked to abortion providers. No state money goes to pay for abortions.
Planned Parenthood sued, saying the law violates its free speech rights. The Texas attorney general argued lawmakers may decide which organizations receive state funds.
The judge in Austin recently ruled that the funding should continue pending the trial on Planned Parenthood's lawsuit, saying there's sufficient evidence the state's law is unconstitutional.
The appeals court's decision comes as conservative groups across the nation try to pass and enforce laws to put Planned Parenthood out of business and make getting an abortion more difficult. Earlier this year the same court upheld a new Texas law requiring doctors to perform a sonogram and provide women with a detailed description of the fetus before carrying out an abortion.
The latest battle involves the Texas Women's Health Care Program, which is designed to provide services to women who might not otherwise qualify for Medicaid. The state paid for roughly $5 million for the program with the federal government paying $35 million.
The federal Commission on Medicare and Medicaid Services, however, warned Texas against banning groups from the program based on their political activities and the federal government cut funding. Gov. Rick Perry has promised the state will pick up the extra cost
I love a lot of things about being here in South Texas, but this is not one of them. I went to a support PP function about 6 weeks ago. Not everyone thinks PP is bad. Just so y'all know.Â
All those in favor of giving Texas back to Mexico raise their hands.
@Petwlkr All in favor of giving the rest back to the Indians raise their hands. Don't say stupid things.
No country can be well governed unless its citizens as a body keep religiously before their minds that they are the guardians of the law, and that the law officers are only machinery for its execution, nothing more. -Mark Twain
The key phrase in this article "No state money goes to pay for abortions" So really all this is doing is preventing low income woman from getting vital services like birth control(which ironically prevents pregnancy), pap smears, mamograms and std testing. Good job Texas. : /
 @ValleyBronco Hmmm I think cause and effect needs to be looked at a little closer in this case. For instance If the state is funding clinics that provide women's care--OTHER than abortions-- to low income women, then it cannot be correctly stated that the state is preventing low income women from getting vital services.
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Here in the State of Wa, there are many different varieties of clinics providing essential women's care, including some that do not offer abortions.
 @commenter87643:Â
But if the clinics ARE providing other types of care, why should their funding be cut simply because they are Planned Parenthood? Isn't this cutting off their noses to spite their faces?
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If I was Planned Parenthood, I would "spin off" or seperate their clinics in Texas so that they had general health clinics providing all their services, and a seperate abortion clinic for that - that way, they would be able to work within the law & not lose their funding.
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But the sad thing is that they would even have to do this - it should be EVERY woman's right to control her own body, to make medical decisions without government interference or intervention into decisions that should be beetween ONLY herself & her healthcatre provider.
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If the situatrion were such that MEN were he ones becoming pregnant, I would bet that NONE of these crappy invasive laws would ever be passed.
More govenment intervention, once again. They're going to return us back to a time prior to Roe vs. Wade and make abortion a 'back alley with the coat hanger' item again? I'm not for abortion - should only be a last resort - but if it is necessary then PLEASE do not let this go back to those days! A woman should have this done medically with all the precautions. I remember hearing about all that as a kid growing up and it sure was appalling - very appalling! This isn't going to stop abortions, just make it more dangerous for the women.
A question for the 'anti-choice no matter what' crowd.Â
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So, let's imagine a woman is violently raped and this results in a pregnancy. The rapist is captured and will end up in jail. Even better, let's imagine that a policeman spots the rape in progress, the rapist brandishes a weapon and is shot dead by the cop. The woman, not wanting to bear the child of her rapist seeks an abortion only to find out that local law prevents any abortion for any reason.Â
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In a normal consensual deal, the woman would be able to have the father pay child support. In the case of a dead (or incarcerated) rapist, this will not be possible. The woman is now left to fend for herself and the child she did not want.
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My question is, are there any provisions in the various proposed personhood laws that allow for a payment from the state to replace the missing child support? After all, it was really the state's decision that the child must be born, raised and educated. (Education is optional in red states.) It would seem like the Christian thing to do to assist this woman with needed expenses. Or maybe it is the Christian thing to do to let her rot in poverty, I can just never tell with you guys.Â
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 @kennewickman HUH! I guess you never heard of adoption?
 @Commenter87643 No, wow, what is this "adoption" thing you are talking about? It sounds fascinating, please share you wisdom with us, tell us more.
My question to you is why is it the states responsibility to take care of the costs? The state didnt rape her.
 @Lord Farquad The state is preventing her from having any power over her body.
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@Lord Farquad "
"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."
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"promote the general Welfare"Â Why does this part always get overlook or ignored.
Read your history and study the founders and you might understand these few words.They are powerful and the intent very clear.
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The state is looking out for her welfare.
@Lord Farquad Your question deserves no comment other than to note that you sound suspiciously like a Christian.
 @kennewickman Why is the unborn baby sentenced to death? What did it do? Why not adopt it out?  The Christian thing to do is to help anyone who needs it. Just because the father is incarcerated doesn't get him out of child support. It would be deducted from all future earnings.  Why wouldn't he be responsible?
 @jasmine:Â
What if the mother has some sort of medical condition that would make continuing the pregnancy dangerous to her health? Should she be forced to carry to term anyhow?
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Women are not incubators.
 @jasmine The fact that there exists great numbers of unadopted children shows that your plan doesn't work and will never work.I knew 5 people from school who were raised by adopted parents. Only one set of parents were religious (and I lived in a area known for a high Baptist and Mormon population).
 @jasmine "The Christian thing to do is to help anyone who needs it."
Oddly enough, it is people in the bible belt who are most against paying welfare.
You're assuming everyone on welfare "needs it"...
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It's a corrupt system, taken advantage of by many, especially in the bible belt.Â
@jasmine @kennewickman "The Christian thing to do" What if you're not christian? I think we forget that sometimes.
 @jasmine Because until the collection of cells develops brain matter, it is nothing but a parasitical growth, little different from any other cluster of cells in the body, be it a mole, a wart or a hangnail. Why do you think it is OK to remove a wart or snip off a hangnail and yet you cry big alligator tears over a non-sentient collection of cells just because they reside in a womb? Is it a sin in your mind if your body spontaneously aborts? Would you force the fÅtus back inside the womb and command it to stay there?
@jasmine @kennewickman And ther it is! "The Christian thing to do" Your right it is. But that is not how america is supposed to work. Not everyone is a christian, not everyone beleaves in god, not every beleaves in the same god. Laws should not be made in the name of christ, you can't legslate morality.
The constitution makes it clear of the separation of church and state for good reason. I'm sure the teabbaggers will insist we are founded as a christian nation, but that is simply not the case.
My family does not beleave abortion is an option so we live by example and don't condemn and maybe that way we can prevent an abortion here and there.
I have always found it odd that the christian community does not partner with organazations like Planned Parenthood and spend some money on TV ads providing options such as adoption. Maybe it is happening and I'm in the dark.
 @jasmine Future earnings don't put food on the table today or pay for college today. I did not say the rapist would not be responsible. I certainly agree that any apprehended rapist should turn over future earnings but that still wouldn't address the scenario of a dead rapist or even a rapist who was never caught. Everyday needs are real and must be met to raise a child, medical care costs money as does college. If you folks are going to force the victim of a violent crime to incur ongoing costs over a multiple year period, I would suggest that you kick in some serious cash. Otherwise, I think all your poetic language about the sanctity of life is just a bunch of meaningless words designed to make yourself feel righteous without having to go to the trouble of actually being righteous.Â
Good, maybe eventually there will be no more murdering of unborn babies. They are human beings from the time of conception, or they wouldn't grow into big human beings!
 @citizen kane So life begins at erection?
 @citizen kane 60%-80% of all conceived fetuses are automatically aborted by the human body. By your metric, just about every fertile and sexually active woman in the world is guilty of murder.
 @citizen kane yeah right on. next up: personhood for pre-conceived babies!
Take that bitc...s Err we mean women! ~ sincerely GOP
Texas/Afghanistan, Texas/Afghanistan...yep. Pretty much the same if you are a woman.Â
 @Citizen#3457899654 Put a WalMart in Afghanistan and you could change its name to East Texas.Â
Good timing for the Republicans! Â It just makes the Republican War on Women all the more visible.Â
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 @ein_verit I thought the GOP was going to do that. It was the whole point of the 2010 election right?Â
Oh, wait... they are still farking that chicken.
 @ein_verit Who cares about the economy compared to personal freedom! If I had to choose between a perfectly running economy and a stuttering economy where women were harassed and sent to jail for having an abortion, I will pick the stuttering economy each and every time.
BTW genius, it was Republican economics that screwed up the economy and Republicans in Congress defeating any chance of a real recovery package that has made recovery slow, all of which was done simply to try and drive Obama out of office. The pathetic thing is that there are mindless morons out there who think they are clever when they use "odumbo" instead of Obama and who vote any chance of recovery away by picking the same Republicans who got us in this mess.Â
According to the article, Texas wants to cut funding for Planned Parenthood because they offer abortions? What about all the other services that it provides such as birth control, paps, std screening, ect? Now isn't that just a bunch of bs!
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Politicians need to quit making decisions based on their own personal beliefs and do the best possible job they can for their constituents. How is a funding cut for Planned Parenthood going to negatively affect the state of Texas? Well, there are going to be more people having unwanted babies, a possible increase in STD transmission, possible rise in the number of women with cancer that goes undetected because women don't have the means to get regular check ups.
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I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT ABORTION SHOULD BE USED AS A FORM OF BIRTH CONTROL HOWEVER, I do believe that it is up to the woman to make the decision of what to do with an unwanted pregnancy. I would rather see women have the option to abort versus there being an unsurmountable number of unwanted children in this country... moreso than there is already.
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With that being said, women that use abortion as a form of birth control make me sick. If you don't want a baby, use condoms, get on birth control or use the morning after pill. Abortion should be an absolute last possible resort.
 @Tattooed_Angel Obamacare will take care of it all.
 @Robinsnest Not if the Republican Talibangelicals have anything to say about it.
I'm not debating religion on this topic, but I do think it's a good idea to have a patient view a sonogram and be given a detailed description of the fetus prior to abortion. That was not done when I was young and it was too easy to blithely get an abortion. With age and wisdom, I regret it deeply..
 @achoo2 Since it is not medically necessary no state should be involved in mandating an unnecessary procedure. If a patient were to ask for one, sure, please provide one. But, unless there is some sort of diagnostic need, this simply boils down to coercion plain and simple. And that, is the problem. No state should be putting itself in a position to coerce someone about abortion. Likely, you and I disagree about the morality of abortion but as Americans we should both be extremely reluctant to have the heavy hand of the state being used to coerce women on this issue. If after consulting her doctor, her husband, her boyfriend, her best friends, her priest or whomever, a free American should be free from actions by the state on a medical matter. BTW, my wife had an abortion before we met. She does not regret it. I understand that some might regret but please know that others do not. Â
 @kennewickmanHaving an elective abortion is not a medical necessity. However in order to truthfully get the age of the fetus, an ultrasound must be done. Especially if the woman states she's only 16 weeks which is legal to abort but yet the u/s shows she is 22 weeks which therefore tells her she can't have one based on laws stating no abortions after 21 weeks. It is diagnosing the age of the fetus to comply with laws.
@Robinsnest
Funny then that, for all these years, America has been able to do millions of safe and effective abortions without unneeded and intrusive ultrasounds. Under special circumstances they may medically advisable but the doctor would be the one to determine that, not the local Jesus-obsessed legislature.Â
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http://www.clinicaladvisor.com/ultrasound-before-abortion-not-medically-necessary/article/229974/
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@kennewickman Very well said! Politicians need to keep their own personal beliefs to themself and do what is best for the state they are serving. With funding cut from Planned Parenthood, there will be an increase in the number of unwanted children, women foregoing regular checkups which could lead to a spike in cancer going undetected, a rise in the amount of untreated STDs.
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Is that really what's best for everyone? I think not.
 @achoo2 But you cannot speak for others who have gotten abortions, or desire one, can you???
@felines99 @achoo2 : I think she is sharing her real life experience which is golden, and I didn't read where she is speaking for anyone other than herself.
 @LocalLady Then explain to me how so many pro-abortion people cried murder when that poor woman who not only lost her 6 year old in the Colorado Theater massacre but also lost her zygote.
 @tufa23 Having sex is a whole lot more intimately personal than an ultrasound. The tech squirts goo on your belly and puts a wand on it to take a pic of the baby. For crying out loud, how the heck is that invasive or remotely intimately personal? Let's keep people ignorant so they can keep killing their babies.
 @kennewickman So what if a doctor tells his patient that he/she has cancer and fails to explain the procedures/treatments fully to that patient? Instead this doctor says "you have cancer we are going to cut you open and take it out." Would someone be OK with not knowing the kind of cancer, how big the cancer tumor is and what are the chances of success? Ultrasound is necessary to correctly determine the age of the fetus and it is not invasive unless you consider be lathered in goo and having a wand touching your skin invasive. My aunt worked at PP about 25 years ago when she first became a nurse and she lasted just over 1 year then quit. She told me how the staff would lie to the young women/teens and tell them that the fetus was just a chunk of tissue. They had women coming in sometimes close to 30 weeks along insisting that they were only about 18 weeks and yet once the fetus was either sucked out or scraped out, the doctors would notice it was much further along than what they were told by the woman. My aunt also told me about 4 young teens that had abortions in her clinic that within months of the abortion they committed suicide because of the guilt they felt about killing their baby. I have sisters, aunts and cousins who have had abortions and each one as late teens or early 20's. As they are now in their 40's and 50's they all feel shame and remorse for taking a life. They all have said that if they were told the truth and shown an ultrasound of their child, then the decision may have been made with more informed thought. I pray for any woman who can have an abortion and not regret it. I can't imagine the heartlessness of making such a decision as to end a life.
 @robinsnest:Â
I get SO tired of all the anti-abortion people claiming that it's a :"baby" - it is NOT! It is a fetus or a zygote, not a baby. It cannot survive independently outside the womb at the point that most abortions occur (within the first trimester). PLEASE at least be factually accurate when spewing your blather.
 @Commenter87643 You DO know that the ultrasound need not be at all, do you not?
 @tufa23 You DO know that the ultrasound need not be intravaginal, do you not?
 @Robinsnest "giving" a woman truthful information??? How generous of you after forcing her to have an invasive & shall we say, intimately personal ultrasound.... You'll "give" her the truthful information.... generosity is your middle name, isn't it?
 @Robinsnest  @kennewickmanÂ
You are supporting that government can decide what healthcare options she may receive over and above her own doctor's advice. You claim what "most women are told", as if you had inside facts available no one else has. How certain are you what a doctor is telling the patient? What evidence do you have about what you're claiming?
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Planned Parenthood is a lot more than just abortions, and if the funding is cut off, will the state then step in to fill the void for the poor? Will the state not involve itself any further in what healthcare options a woman can avail themselves of? A lot of conservatives scream about getting "government out of healthcare", so why the double standard when it comes to women's healthcare?
 @Robinsnest What if the woman says she knows all that, why would you still insist on an unnecessary medical procedure? As well, if the woman says it is her decision to abort a fetus, there is nothing served by a quick lesson in neonatology other than coercion.Â
 @kennewickman How is giving a woman truthful information, intimidating or coercing her? For many many years, young women were told their unborn baby was just a piece of tissue that would not have the ability to feel pain as it was being vacuumed out of them. They were told the heart doesn't even beat until the second month of pregnancy among many more lies. Showing them their baby and describing it's true developmental stages helps to show them that this is a living human being and perhaps they will make their decision based on truth and not lies.
 @Headwrench  @felines99  @achoo2 Actually, not exactly. The article refers to the new law in Texas mandating an medically unnecessary ultrasound along with requiring a description of the fetus read aloud to the woman. Our commenter, achoo2, then states that she thinks it is a good idea. In essence then, she is stating that intrusive laws designed to intimidate and coerce women into submitting to the will of others about her pregnancy is a good thing. It is one thing to say that it would have been a good idea for oneself but not mandate it for others, it is another thing altogether to say that others must submit whether they like it or not. achoo2 is free to clarify the distinction if she cares to do so; it would be nice if the ultrasounds were simply offered or the ultrasounds should be required by law.Â
I agree- And i find it appaling how one commenter says "take a bus to mexico to get it done"- like were talking about a tatoo. Humans in America have more regard for animals than their own spawn. We're collectively worried more about an animal left in a car than a human life.  Â