Colorado Republican Leader Vows to Continue Investigating Planned Parenthood

Last week's terrorism at a Planned Parenthood center in Colorado Springs won't stop Colorado state Sen. Kevin Lundberg from conducting hearings on the women's health organization and pushing for a state investigation.
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Last week's terrorism at a Planned Parenthood center in Colorado Springs won't stop Colorado state Sen. Kevin Lundberg from conducting hearings on the women's health organization and pushing for a state investigation.

In a Facebook post three days after the shooting, Lundberg wrote he took advantage of a budget hearing to ask Larry Wolk, Colorado's chief medical officer, why he hasn't launched an investigation into whether the organization violated state laws relating to fetal-tissue research.

The Durango Herald's Peter Marcus reported on the incident Tuesday:

Despite the tragedy still fresh for the public and victims' families, Republicans on Tuesday wasted no time, getting right back to the fetal body parts issue. Remarks came during a budget hearing with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

'Will the department be taking some action to deal with this inadequacy?' asked Sen. Kevin Lundberg, R-Berthoud, pointing out that the state health department has taken no action against Planned Parenthood on the fetal body parts issue.

Later, Lundberg wrote on his Facebook page that he has "specific questions" that he intends to ask Wolk during the legislative session, and Wolk ageed to testify.

"I finally had a brief opportunity to question the Colorado Health Department director, Dr. Wolk, concerning his department's failure to thoroughly investigate possible violations of Colorado law concerning fetal tissue trafficking," wrote Lundberg, who's the GOP's assistant senate majority leader, on Facebook.

Wolk's told Lundberg at the hearing that he did not see "any connection to Colorado" in heavily-edited undercover videos, some of which featured Colorado Planned Parenthood officials. And he said he's always available to answer questions from Lundberg.

"This despite his refusal to come or send anyone from his department to the RSCC Fetal Tissue Trafficking Hearing held on November 9," Lundberg wrote on Facebook.

Colorado pro-choice activists on Tuesday pointed to the rhetoric at the November 9 hearing, which repeatedly spotlighted the discredited videos, as contributing to the November 27 murders in Colorado Springs. If Wolk refused to testify at the legislature, an angry Lunberg said in a radio interview about the Nov. 9 hearing, he'd consider requesting subpeona power to force him to do so.

As I wrote for RH Reality Check Friday, Lundberg wasn't named by the activists Tuesday, but they cited his fellow Colorado legislators, U.S. Rep. Mike Coffman, state Rep. Gordon Klingenschmitt (R-Colorado Springs), and state Sen. Tim Neville (R-Littleton) for using language that incited violence directed at Planned Parenthood.

The health department has declined Colorado Statesman to investigate Planned Parenthood in Colorado.

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