Planned Parenthood sues Ohio over plan to restrict funds

By Megan Cassella WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Planned Parenthood filed a lawsuit against Ohio officials on Wednesday over a plan by the state to restrict the U.S. healthcare agency's access to state and federal funds, saying it was being singled out for providing abortion services. The lawsuit, filed in federal court on behalf of Planned Parenthood branches of greater Ohio and of the southwest region, said attempts to defund the healthcare agency and several affiliated programs were an "extreme punishment" exacted solely because abortion services are part of its range of care, court filings showed. Agency officials also said such actions violated the equal protection clause of the U.S. Constitution for singling out Planned Parenthood and treating it differently from other healthcare providers. Ohio Right to Life director Katie Franklin called the lawsuit "frivolous." The Ohio bill was signed by Governor John Kasich in February and bars the state from contracts with organizations that perform or promote abortions. It is set to take effect on May 23. Kasich's press secretary, Joe Andrews, said in an email he would not discuss pending litigation, but added the governor, a former Republican presidential candidate, was pleased to sign legislation "that continued our progress in moving funding to other eligible providers." The lawsuit is the 15th filed by Planned Parenthood over access to care at its centers since mid-2015, when anti-abortion activists began releasing videos purporting to show group officials negotiating prices for aborted fetal tissue. Planned Parenthood denied wrongdoing and said the videos were distorted and politically motivated. Officials in 12 states have since blocked efforts to cut funding from the clinics, and the federal director of Medicaid, a government healthcare program for the poor, warned states in April against cutting off funds to Planned Parenthood simply because its services include abortions. Planned Parenthood officials said they were asking the court to hand down an order before the law takes effect. If allowed to continue, the action would "constitute an undue, constitutionally intolerable burden on the abortion rights of Ohio women," the filing said. Also on Wednesday, Kansas Governor Sam Brownback signed into law a bill that directs the state's spending of federal funds for family planning services to health centers and hospitals that provide a full range of healthcare. The governor’s office said in a statement the bill would eliminate funding for Planned Parenthood clinics out of federal grants for family planning programs. (Additional reporting by Kim Palmer in Cleveland and Fiona Ortiz in Chicago)