The Ohio House on Tuesday advanced a bill to block state and federal dollars from reaching Planned Parenthood in response to controversial undercover videos released this summer by anti-abortion advocates.
House Bill 294 would redirect state-administered grants — about $1.3 million last year — to federally qualified health centers, health departments, and other facilities that don’t perform elective abortions or contract with organizations that do.
The bill cleared the House along party lines in a 62-30 vote. The bill was amended to match legislation passed by the Senate, also along party lines, in October. One of the bills needs to clear the opposite chamber before becoming law. Gov. John Kasich, also a Republican presidential candidate, has said he supports the legislation.
Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio offers birth control, cancer screenings, tests for sexually transmitted diseases and well-woman exams at its 28 centers across the state. Three centers perform abortions.
None of the funding in question is related to abortion services. Planned Parenthood said it pays for services such as sexually transmitted disease tests, breast and cervical cancer screening tests, HIV tests, an infant mortality reduction program, a domestic violence prevention program, and a program that teaches sex education and financial literacy to foster care children.
Click here to read more of this story.
About Marion Online News
