Planned Parenthood Fights Back in Indiana

Mitch Daniels signed a bill yesterday to defund Planned Parenthood in Indiana effective immediately, but the organization says it will try to prevent the move by seeking a temporary restraining order and injunction with the help of the ACLU. The bill cuts off government funding to any entity that offers abortions, but since hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers are exempted, it affects only Planned Parenthood, USA Today reports. Daniels says the organization "can resume receiving taxpayer dollars immediately by ceasing or separating its operations that perform abortions."

In addition to taking away taxpayer funding, cutting off about $2 million of the $3 million Planned Parenthood gets from the government each year, HB1210 also changes the deadline for women to get abortions to 20 weeks, requires doctors to tell patients that infertility has been linked to abortion, and prohibits the use of Medicaid at Planned Parenthood. The Family and Social Services Administration is concerned that Indiana will violate Medicaid policy, thus losing $4 million, while the state's Planned Parenthood president warns that basic health care for women will be threatened. (More Planned Parenthood stories.)