Here are the facts on what defunding would mean
The Ohio House on Tuesday approved a bill that would block state and federal dollars from going to Planned Parenthood and other organizations that either provide elective abortions or contract with such organizations.
(Gus Chan/The Plain Dealer)
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The Ohio House on Tuesday advanced a bill to block state and federal dollars from reaching Planned Parenthood in response to controversial undercover videos released this summer by anti-abortion advocates.
House Bill 294 would redirect state-administered grants -- about $1.3 million last year -- to federally qualified health centers, health departments, and other facilities that don't perform elective abortions or contract with organizations that do.
The bill cleared the House along party lines in a 62-30 vote. The bill was amended to match legislation passed by the Senate, also along party lines, in October. One of the bills needs to clear the opposite chamber before becoming law. Gov. John Kasich, also a Republican presidential candidate, has said he supports the legislation.
Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio offers birth control, cancer screenings, tests for sexually transmitted diseases and well-woman exams at its 28 centers across the state. Three centers perform abortions.
None of the funding in question is related to abortion services. Planned Parenthood said it pays for services such as sexually transmitted disease tests, breast and cervical cancer screening tests, HIV tests, an infant mortality reduction program, a domestic violence prevention program, and a program that teaches sex education and financial literacy to foster care children.
The Center for Medical Progress, an anti-abortion nonprofit, released several undercover videos that purported to show Planned Parenthood clinics sold aborted fetuses and fetus parts. The videos, which were heavily edited, were not filmed in Ohio and fetal tissue donation is illegal in Ohio.
Rep. Nickie Antonio, a Lakewood Democrat, said the videos' message has been proven false.
"This is about ideological opposition to a woman's right to choose -- let's call it what it is -- by legislators who think they have the right to make a woman's personal health care decisions," Antonio said on the House floor.
Rep. Ron Young, a Leroy Republican, said there are 280 health clinics that serve as alternatives to Planned Parenthood. Young said if Planned Parenthood wanted to continue receiving funding under the bill, it could stop providing elective abortions.
Bill sponsors Rep. Bill Patmon, a Cleveland Democrat, and Rep. Margaret Conditt, a Liberty Township Republican, said the legislation ensured no state funding would be used for elective abortion services.
Rep. Dan Ramos, a Lorain Democrat, noted that state and federal law prevent public tax dollars from funding abortions. Ramos said Planned Parenthood earned those dollars by demonstrating it can provide the most efficient care.
"This bill is the antithesis of fiscal responsibility," Ramos said.
Republicans rejected Democratic members' amendments to fund comprehensive sex education and prevent funding from going to crisis pregnancy centers, which advise pregnant women about non-abortion options.
Stephanie Kight, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Ohio, said the Ohio House again put politics above people.
"Their blatant disregard for the truth and the well-being of Ohioans is disgusting," Kight said in a statement. "They are willing to disrupt community programs that help some of our most vulnerable citizens, all to score cheap political points. These are not the leaders that the people of our state deserve."
Several of the bill's supporters, including the bill's sponsors, mistakenly said during the debate that the money in question was used to pay for abortions.
A spokeswoman for Ohio Right to Life, the state's largest anti-abortion lobby, said the group is opposed to any money propping up the abortion industry. Spokeswoman Katherine Franklin said the state and federal funding for other services frees up funding for abortion services.
"Because [Planned Parenthood clinics] are responsible for up one-third of Ohio's abortions, we don't want one penny of our taxpayer dollars going to them," Franklin said. Franklin said the organization, which reported a surplus a few years ago, should be able to make up the lost funding through private donations.