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Judge Blocks State From Defunding Planned Parenthood

Ohio Public Radio

A federal district judge has blocked the state's effort to end funding for Planned Parenthood while he weighs a challenge to a state law aimed at keeping public money from going to the organization. Planned Parenthood officials says the law violates their constitutional rights by denying them the funds "in retaliation for" providing abortions. Ohio Public Radio's Jo Ingles reports.

On the same day the new law to strip Planned Parenthood of more than a million dollars was supposed to take effect, a federal judge in Cincinnati granted the organization’s request for a temporary restraining order. The President and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio, Iris Harvey, says the law which would take money away for cancer screenings, HIV tests and birth control, affects many low income women who don’t have other options.

“We think this ruling is a victory for our patients in Ohio.”

But Mike Gonadakis, President of Ohio Right to Life, says the ruling hurts women who could be getting those services from community clinics.

“It’s a delay at best and it clearly demonstrates an overreach by Planned Parenthood.”

The law is on hold until June 6th.

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