Statement: Unelected Judge Forces Ohio Taxpayers to Fund Planned Parenthood
Federal judge blocks Ohio law that diverts taxpayer dollars from Planned Parenthood
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Katherine Franklin
DATE: Friday, August 12, 2016 PHONE: 614-547-0099 ext. 304
The following statement is Ohio Right to Life’s response to Judge Michael Barrett’s decision to grant a permanent injunction, preventing our law to de-fund entities that perform or promote abortions from taking effect. It should be attributed to Katie Franklin, director of communications for Ohio Right to Life.
“Judge Barrett’s decision is a clear violation of states’ rights and the conscience rights of taxpayers. It is the public policy of the state of Ohio to prefer childbirth over abortion, and we should be allowed to allocate funds accordingly. Planned Parenthood has no constitutional right to the hard-earned dollars of taxpayers, millions of whom have deep and abiding objections to the corporation’s pro-abortion business model. As was the case in Roe v. Wade, yet again, an activist judge is fabricating ‘rights’ out of thin air to the benefit of the abortion industry. Ohio has hundreds of free to low-cost women’s health care providers that don’t perform abortions, yet we are forced to subsidize one that does. In 2015, Planned Parenthood performed 323,999 abortions, all while receiving $553.7 million in taxpayer dollars. That accounts for an obscene 42 percent of its total revenue. We fully expect Judge Barrett’s radical, activist decision to be overturned on appeal.”
Founded in 1967, Ohio Right to Life, with more than 45 chapters and local affiliates, is Ohio’s oldest and largest grassroots pro-life organization. Recognized as the flagship of the pro-life movement in Ohio, ORTL works through legislation and education to promote and defend innocent human life from conception to natural death.
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