CLEVELAND, Ohio—Planned Parenthood locations across Ohio on Thursday received notice from the Ohio Department of Health that their state funding will end next month.
The notice comes following a federal appeals court ruling this month that upheld a 2016 Ohio law forbidding the state from sending preventive health funding to any organization, or affiliate of an organization, that “performs or promotes” non-therapeutic abortions. The law was signed by former Gov. John Kasich.
The letter from ODH, which was dated March 21, informs the organization’s 26 locations that as of April 20, they will no longer receive funding for a wide variety of programs formerly supported by the state. Last year, ODH gave about $600,000 in grants to Planned Parenthood, according to a spokesman for the department.
The state money funded programs such as sexual assault services; breast and cervical cancer prevention; the STD (sexually transmitted disease) Control program; the Minority HIV/AIDS initiative; as well as five programs designed to reduce infant mortality, including CenteringPregnancy and Moms and Babies First, a neighborhood outreach program targeting high-risk black women.
There are three Ohio Planned Parenthood locations that provide abortions — in Cincinnati, Columbus, and Bedford Heights — but the nonprofits that provide these services, Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio and Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio Region, do not use public money to fund them. The two organizations sued after the 2016 law was signed.
On March 12th, the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati ruled 11 to 6 to reverse a federal judge’s decision to declare the 2016 law unconstitutional.
ODH Director Amy Acton responded to Planned Parenthood’s motion to stay the appeals court decision, asserting that a stay amounted to a delay tactic; that the organization would not likely get Supreme Court review of the decision or win the case if it did; the funding loss was not significant and would not irreparably harm the organization; that the state would ensure that other organizations and healthcare providers would fill the gap in programs; and that an immediate issuance of the mandate is in the public interest.
Scroll down to see the full text of Acton’s response and the letter from ODH.
After receiving Thursday’s letter, Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio CEO Iris Harvey tweeted:
In a statement, Harvey said the short notice provided by ODH will “gravely impact patients and communities across Ohio."
Harvey added: "Ohio continues to put politics over people, putting them at greater risk. This isn’t about politics, this is about lifesaving health care.”