Stephanie Kight, CEO, Planned Parenthood Ohio, addresses the City Club of Cleveland.
States across the country have been waging public battles with Planned Parenthood. Indiana, the first state to attempt to block Planned Parenthood from receiving state-level Medicaid funds, has been in a legal battle for the past two years and recently agreed to put an end to the challenge. That case, however, started a national trend with states like Arizona, North Carolina, Kansas, Texas and now Ohio following suit. Lawmakers in these states don’t want Planned Parenthood receiving money because they are an abortion provider-even though that is a fraction of the services provided.
Ohio included cuts to Planned Parenthood in its last 2-year budget. Included in the budget is: the defunding of Planned Parenthood; a redirection of those funds to crisis pregnancy centers; the defunding of rape crisis centers around the state that provide women with information about abortion services and a new ban on public hospitals entering into transfer agreements with abortion clinics.
Planned Parenthood Ohio maintains 20 health center locations in communities throughout North, East and Central Ohio. They provide comprehensive reproductive healthcare services to women and men, Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio is an affiliate of the national organization.