NEWS

Judge temporarily blocks state from axing Planned Parenthood money

Jessie Balmert
jbalmert@enquirer.com

COLUMBUS - A federal judge temporarily stopped the Ohio Department of Health from stripping more than $1 million from Planned Parenthood.

A law, passed by mostly GOP legislators and signed by Republican Gov. John Kasich, would divert about $1.4 million in taxpayer money from Planned Parenthood to health departments for programs like HIV testing and sex education. Planned Parenthood filed a lawsuit in federal court mid-May to stop the Ohio Department of Health from removing that money on Monday, when the law took effect.

On Monday afternoon, Judge Michael R. Barrett in Cincinnati granted Planned Parenthood's request to delay the law. He granted a temporary restraining order, which will last until June 6.

"There is also no doubt that the Ohio Legislature enacted (this law) for the purpose of placing a substantial obstacle in the path of a woman seeking to obtain an abortion," Barrett wrote in the order.

Jerry Lawson, CEO of Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio, called the decision a victory for tens of thousands of Ohioans.

"Our state legislators want to ban abortion across the board, and they were willing to decimate access to preventive care in the process," Lawson said in a statement.

But Ohio Right to Life President Mike Gonidakis said Barrett overreached his authority with this decision. "Simply put, judges don’t get to make law," he said.

That frustration was shared by House Speaker Cliff Rosenberger, R-Clarksville, who called himself "an unabashed pro-life advocate." "(T)oday's action whereby an unelected federal judge overstepped his authority in order to thwart a law that would have helped women and families is shameful.”

Gonidakis said Planned Parenthood likely shopped for a sympathetic judge who would give the organization what they wanted. Barrett was appointed in 2006 by former President George W. Bush, a Republican who opposed abortion.

If the law goes into effect, Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio would lose $469,000 each year in grants and additional money used to test for sexually transmitted diseases, according to the complaint. Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio, which serves central and northern Ohio, stands to lose  $640,000 in annual grants and $420,000 used for testing.

Hamilton County Health Department already replaced Planned Parenthood's HIV testing on April 1 with Northside's Caracole, Inc. No wanting to disrupt those services, Barrett did not reinstate Planned Parenthood of Southwest Ohio's contract in that case.

Since July, Planned Parenthood has filed 15 lawsuits against states seeking to strip money or access to abortions.