A federal judge smacked down John Kasich's attempt to defund Planned Parenthood in Ohio

Emily Crockett · Friday, August 12, 2016, 4:26 pm

A federal judge on Friday blocked an Ohio law that would have defunded Planned Parenthood — by kicking it out of state grant programs for public health and education services, like maternal health and HIV prevention programs.

"The defunding law in Ohio would have stopped Planned Parenthood from providing HIV tests, cancer screenings, and assistance for poor mothers with newborn infants,” said Kellie Copeland, president of NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio, in a statement.

Although Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine says he will appeal the ruling, many health advocates are breathing a sigh of relief. As I reported last year, some officials warned that the bill could have had severe public health consequences for Ohio. Not only was Planned Parenthood a major provider of these health services that couldn’t easily be replaced but the bill was also written so poorly that it could have accidentally defunded Ohio’s public health departments in the process of trying to go after Planned Parenthood.

That’s because the law didn’t just target Planned Parenthood. It also blocked funding for any abortion provider — and for any entity that contracted or affiliated with an organization that provides or “promotes” abortion. This language was so broad that Kelli Arthur Hykes, director of public health policy at Columbus Public Health, told Vox that it could have stripped funds for her local health department.

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http://www.vox.com/2016/8/12/12456336/john-kasich-defund-planned-parenthood-ohio-blocked