Planned Parenthood In Ohio, Wisconsin Loses Battles

WASHINGTON-- The GOP may insist that there is no war on women, but the campaign against Planned Parenthood, which provides health care to one in five American women each year, is gaining ground in the Midwest.

Republican state representatives in Ohio slipped an amendment into the state's substitute budget bill on Tuesday that puts family planning clinics like Planned Parenthood at the bottom of funding priorities and blocks them from receiving funding for cancer screenings and HIV and domestic violence services.

Meanwhile, Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin announced on Friday that it has stopped providing nonsurgical abortions, which make up about 25 percent of all abortions performed at its clinics, due to a new state law that criminalizes physicians who perform them.

Defunding Planned Parenthood through Ohio's budget bill is a way for GOP lawmakers to pass the measure without having to vote on a separate bill, which would likely cause controversy. The Planned Parenthood amendment, introduced by Republicans in the House Finance Committee on Tuesday, puts family planning clinics that provide abortions in the bottom tier of priority for Title X funds, making it more likely that the state will run out of money before it can provide any funding to Planned Parenthood.

The amendment further prohibits federal funds from the Minority HIV/AIDS Initiative, the Violence Against Women Act, the Breast and Cervical Cancer Mortality Prevention Act and the Infertility Prevention Project from going to Planned Parenthood or any other family planning clinic that provides abortions.

The GOP-controlled House is expected to vote on the budget bill next week and pass it, with the amendment attached.

"This House seems to stop at nothing to attack women and their reproductive rights, and in this case, their access to basic health care and cancer screenings," State Rep. Kathleen Clyde (D-Kent), a member of the House Finance Committee, told HuffPost. "It's just a very tough legislature to be a part of."

Planned Parenthood Affiliates of Ohio said that of its 37 health centers, only three perform abortions, and none of the $1.7 million it receives in federal funding annually is used to pay for abortions. Opponents of the amendment are concerned that many of the rural and low-income women in Ohio who rely on Planned Parenthood clinics for basic health and family planning services will not have any nearby alternative if Planned Parenthood is stripped of funding.

Republicans on the Finance Committee, however, "seem to be burying their head in the sand on that issue," Clyde said. "We've heard some pretty clear testimony that the services are not available -- there's already wait times, not enough doctors out there offering these services -- but the Republicans seem to think that other types of health centers can pick up all of the extra demand and absorb all of these patients. I think that is completely false."

House Finance Chairman Rep. Ron Amstut (R-Wooster) and state Rep. Kristina Roegner (R-Hudson), who are pushing the amendment, did not respond to calls for comment.

Mike Gonidakis, President of Ohio Right to Life, lauded the amendment in a statement. "Ohio's abortion industry will no longer feed at the taxpayer trough. Instead, these dedicated health care funds will be offered to those entities where a vast majority of low-income women and their children seek responsible and life-saving services," he said.

On Wednesday the Ohio Democratic Party circulated a petition to stop the House from defunding Planned Parenthood, which 12,000 women have signed as of this writing.

In Wisconsin, Planned Parenthood announced that, due to a new law that Gov. Scott Walker (R) put into effect Friday, it would no longer be able to provide medication abortions, which are a safe, nonsurgical alternative for women who are less than nine weeks into their pregnancies. The so-called Coercive and Webcam Abortion Prevention Act requires the physician to determine whether a woman is being coerced into having an abortion and prohibits abortion counseling via webcam in Wisconsin, which is not common practice in the state. Planned Parenthood called the law "ambiguous and difficult to interpret" and said it would require three separate doctor's visits to get medication abortions and would impose criminal penalties for doctors who provided such abortions.

"The decision to end a pregnancy is a complex one, specific to each woman and her individual circumstances," said Teri Hyuck, CEO of Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin, in a statement Friday. "Decisions about childbearing should be made by a woman in consultation with her family and doctor -- not by politicians. Planned Parenthood will continue to be there to provide women with quality, safe and legal health care services without judgment."

Proponents of the law say it is intended to protect the health of women and the lives of their fetuses.

"Because chemical abortions comprise 26 percent of Wisconsin abortions," Wisconsin Right to Life said in a statement on Friday, "their suspension will result in another decline in Wisconsin abortions which is great news for mothers and babies."

Related on HuffPost:

Comments

[Jujubeen]

05:07 AM on 05/04/2012

They're babies Laura Basset not fetuses not things.

[nazztea]

10:29 AM on 04/27/2012

Following Texas down the hole.

Texas Loses Entire Women's Health Program Over Planned Parenthood Law
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/15/texas-loses-entire-womens_n_1349431.html

[AgMom04]

12:19 AM on 04/27/2012

The wire coat hanger business is going to be great! Maybe I should invest! And every woman that dies from sepsis needs to lie in state in the rotunda of these State Houses! You, too, can have this great honor! Get a criminal abortion, die from it and we'll drape you in red, white and blue!!! Give me a freakin' break....when is this insanity going to end?

[iamone3]

03:22 PM on 04/26/2012

No one has a right to kill an innocent person. It`s just wrong.

http://www.godvine.com/Ezekiel-s-Miracle-Baby-Weighing-1-Pound-Shocks-Doctors-1431.html

[AgMom04]

12:23 AM on 04/27/2012

I zygote is not a person...it can't live on its own, breath on its own...it is a part of its hosts body and that host happens to be the mother. Her rights are being trampled on by this because (a) she may be poor (b) she may be young (c) she may already have 5 kids and (d) she may not suscribe to the same form of religious zealousness that powers this drive to make women second class citizens once again!

Beware of us when election time comes. You are going to watch a lot of women rise up and it "ain't" going to be pretty because your precious conservatives are going down!!!!!

[iamone3]

01:11 AM on 04/27/2012

Making threats makes you sound hysterical and weak.

[retromoderne]

02:16 PM on 04/24/2012

Whoohoo! Good news from Ohio, and am pleasantly shocked to be saying. Just got an email from PP that the language stripping their funding from the state budget is going to be removed.

[Talking The Wolf]

03:51 PM on 04/25/2012

Got the same e-mail and I'm cautiously optimistic. The state legislature and Kasich must have gotten flooded with hate mail..I know I did my part. I'm shocked that they managed to remove their heads from their respective butts long enough to gage which way the political wind is blowing in Ohio.

[MRstoner2udude]

12:43 PM on 04/24/2012

A woman has the right to end a pregnancy without the government having a say. I can't wait to vote Kasich out....OUT.

[Peter Saxe]

08:28 AM on 04/24/2012

How can there be a state law that criminalizes physicians who perform non-surgical abortions? Doesn't Roe v. Wade trump state law? It is a war not only on Women, but on health-care providers. It's insane!

[barrada nicto]

04:39 AM on 04/25/2012

If they contest these terrible laws the issue is bound to end up before the Supreme Court ... which is currently in the pocket of the Republicans.

The Roe V. Wade will be in jeopardy.

[nazztea]

10:38 AM on 04/27/2012

Oddly, the states that whine the most about having no funds will gleefully spend to the last penny in defending these dubious "laws".

[Strings55]

07:28 AM on 04/24/2012

"The decision to end a pregnancy is a complex one, specific to each woman and her individual circumstances," said Teri Hyuck, CEO of Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin"

But nothing is mentioned about the children.

If the state has any responsibilities at all, it should be to protect those most vulnerable from having their lives purposely taken from them prematurely.

We shouldn't conflate Liberty with License, and we should remember that any unfettered freedom to choose stops at the point that another human being's life is threatened.

[barrada nicto]

04:40 AM on 04/25/2012

" But nothing is mentioned about the children. "

There are no children involved.

[Strings55]

07:33 AM on 04/25/2012

Of course there are children involved. That is the crux of the argument, isn't it?

Whatever description you give to the life in the womb, that was you and me at some point. I suppose if you think nothing of your own life, letting another life get snuffed out is now big deal.

However, if your life is precious to you, why cheat someone else out of theirs for spurious reasons about an inconvenient pregnancy?

[votingthistime]

03:06 AM on 04/24/2012

"The GOP may insist that there is no war on women, but the campaign against Planned Parenthood, which provides health care to one in five American women each year, is gaining ground in the Midwest."
I hope all women and the men who love and respect them take note that this is what the Republicans have chosen to do when they had the opportunity. Well, WE’RE going to have an opportunity this November to vote these misogynist clowns out of office! Let’s reelect President Obama, give him filibuster-proof majorities in both houses of Congress, and aggressively pursue a progressive legislative agenda. It can happen. Yes we can. It’s high time we effectively pushed back against these extremist policies

[Scurvydog74]

09:47 PM on 04/23/2012

Ok, women, do something about it. Vote all these Koch puppets out of office as soon as possible and don't be fooled again.

[madgrrl]

02:09 PM on 04/23/2012

Republicans - Planned Parenthood PREVENTS abortions! Your way of doing this CAUSES more abortions, and unplanned pregnancies. This is NOT the 1950's -- women don't sneak away, go to a special home to have their children and give them up for adoption. I hope you are planning to put more money in welfare funding for all those extra children....

[dudekabob]

03:34 PM on 04/23/2012

Dream on. They have no plans beyond the present moment. Obviously, they're also planning on NOT winning any elections in the 2012 cycle (let's hope).

[Itsasmallworld]

02:08 PM on 04/23/2012

I have a girlfriend who had a pregnancy scare recently. Because she is self employed and not insured right now, sh was explaining to me her options. She said I have an appointment with PP in a couple of weeks to see if i am and I just don't think I could keep it if I am. She was struggling with her choice and she is a Christian so she was giving it a lot of thought. The man who she is seeing is a big conservative and she felt would not want to be a father to the child. He is also the one who 'pulled a fast one' on her that would have resulted in the pregnancy. I couldn't help but think that if the neo cons had their way she would not have the option for affordable care at PP, she would be forced to keep it and the conservative dad would be forced to be a dad too.

[madgrrl]

02:03 PM on 04/23/2012

How can any woman vote Republican?

[kaki40]

04:19 PM on 04/23/2012

Proudly..its I little thing called personal responsiblity, Try it sometime..

[madgrrl]

06:01 PM on 04/23/2012

Personal responsibility - adult women make their own healthcare and reproductive choices without government interference. Not something supported by the Republican party.

[movnforward]

01:33 PM on 04/23/2012

Ladies, and gentlemen, this is our daily reminder to vote the GOP out!
All these attacks on women's basic health care issues will only unite us
and make us stronger and more determined in November.

[movnforward]

01:02 PM on 04/23/2012

Cutting funding for HIV/AID, breast cancer screening, basic healthcare and cancer screenings-
Another fine example of the GOP War on Women and GOP d e a t h panels.