Louisiana must continue providing Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood clinics for 14 more days while a legal battle continues over Gov. Bobby Jindal’s recent order to block the funding, a federal judge in Baton Rouge ruled this morning.
As The Associated Press reports, U.S. District Judge John deGravelles heard arguments in the case Friday. Without his ruling, funding was expected to end later today.
Planned Parenthood had challenged the state’s right to end the funding for cancer screenings, gynecology exams and other health services. Jindal, who is seeking the Republican presidential nomination, began the defunding effort after videos were released by the anti-abortion Center for Medical Progress.
The center said the videos showed that Planned Parenthood illegally sells fetal tissue for profit. Planned Parenthood, which does not currently provide abortions in Louisiana, denies the allegation and says the videos are misleading.
Lawyers for Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast, the Planned Parenthood arm that provides medical services in Louisiana, argued that Jindal’s fight to cut funding for its non-abortion-related services is politically motivated.
“In fact, uncontradicted evidence in the record at this time is that PPGC does not perform abortions in Louisiana, is not involved in the sale of fetal tissue and none of the conduct in question occurred at the PPGC’s two Louisiana facilities,” deGravelles writes in his 59-page ruling.
deGravelles ruling states it appears likely Planned Parenthood will be able to prove that the funding cutoff was being attempted for reasons unrelated to the organization’s competence.
Arguing for the state, attorney Jimmy Faircloth said on Friday that the judge should stay out of the matter for now because Planned Parenthood had not yet gone through a state administrative appeal process. The appeal process would have suspended the planned funding cutoff until a decision was reached.
deGravelles says a hearing date will be set on the issues after a telephone status conference takes place this afternoon.
