AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas officials are vowing to cut off funding for Planned Parenthood after a federal court sided with the state in a challenge over a new law that bans clinics affiliated with abortion providers from getting money through a health program for low-income women.
The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans late Tuesday reversed a federal judge's temporary injunction that was allowing the funding to continue pending an October trial on Planned Parenthood's challenge to the law.
State officials are seeking to halt money to Planned Parenthood clinics that provide family planning and health services as part of the state's Women's Health Program because the Republican-led Texas Legislature passed a law banning funds to organizations linked to abortion providers.
Planned Parenthood provides services like cancer screenings — but not abortions — to about half of the 130,000 low-income Texas women enrolled in the program, which is designed to provide services to women who might not otherwise qualify for Medicaid.
The appeals court's decision means Texas is now free to impose the ban.
"We appreciate the court's ruling and will move to enforce state law banning abortion providers and affiliates from the Women's Health Program as quickly as possible," Stephanie Goodman, a spokeswoman for the state Health and Human Services Commission, said in a statement.
The ruling is the latest in the ongoing fight that has pitted Texas against the federal government. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services says that the new state rule violates federal law. Federal funds paid for 90 percent, or about $35 million, of the $40 million Women's Health Program until the new rule went into effect. Federal officials are now phasing out support for the program.
Gov. Rick Perry has promised that Texas will make up for the loss of federal funds to keep the program going without Planned Parenthood's involvement. In a statement, Perry called Tuesday's ruling "a win for Texas women, our rule of law and our state's priority to protect life."
"Texas will continue providing important health services for women through this program in spite of the Obama Administration's disregard for our state law and unilateral decision to defund this program," he said.
Cecile Richards, president of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, said the case "has never been about Planned Parenthood — it's about the women who rely on Planned Parenthood for cancer screenings, birth control and well-woman exams."
"It is shocking that politics would get in the way of women receiving access to basic health care," Richards said in a statement.
The case began when Planned Parenthood sued, saying the new Texas law violated its rights to free speech. Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott countered by arguing that lawmakers may decide which organizations receive state funds.
A federal judge in Austin ruled that the funding should continue pending the trial on Planned Parenthood's lawsuit, saying there's sufficient evidence the state's law is unconstitutional.
But the three-judge appellate panel disagreed, unanimously finding that Planned Parenthood was unlikely to prevail in future arguments that its free-speech rights were violated.
Abbott cheered the decision, noting that it "rightfully recognized that the taxpayer-funded Women's Health Program is not required to subsidize organizations that advocate for elective abortion."
It comes as conservative groups across the nation try to pass and enforce laws to put Planned Parenthood out of business and make getting an abortion more difficult. Earlier this year the same court upheld a new Texas law requiring doctors to perform a sonogram and provide women with a detailed description of the fetus before carrying out an abortion.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.
WACO, Texas (AP) — Waco leaders have cleared the way to help finance Baylor's planned $250 million on-campus football stadium.
The Waco City Council voted Tuesday night to award $35 million in special tax funds for the project.
Baylor regents last month approved building the 45,000-seat stadium along the Brazos (BRAZ'-uhs) River, contingent on the city adding public funds. The vote to use tax increment financing zone funds was considered a formality.
Baylor officials, in a statement following Tuesday night's vote, said the school is prepared to begin construction.
Baylor hopes to have the new stadium ready for the 2014 football season. The venue would replace Floyd Casey Stadium, which was built in 1950 and has maintenance issues.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.
Dear Editor:
I live in Magnolia (Decker Prairie area) but I do pay taxes to Tomball ISD and shop in Tomball. While it's encouraging to see revenue rising in Tomball and predicted budget surpluses, I feel it is entirely inappropriate to be spending $20,000 to send city "officials" on a junket to Germany at this time, while economic uncertainty hangs over the entire country as well as our local economies. The amount may be small potatoes as part of the overall budget, but the message it sends is much larger. Many of us had to forego vacations this summer as a result of belt tightening in our personal budgets. Shades of the federal GSA scandals we have all seen lately on a local scale.
Bill Forcht
Magnolia
Alcohol suspected in fatal Magnolia area crash
Magnolia woman charged with embezzlement
Tomball clean up week deemed a success
Tomball Rails n Tails Mudbug festival draws record crowd
Organizations focus on how residents can survive emergencies
Law Enforcement Report for the Week of July 22
Written on Monday 6 August 2012
Tomball’s Doerre ready for next phase of softball career
Written on Monday 13 August 2012
I saw both Luca and…
Written by Mike Hoff
2012-08-07 18:28:45
AAR Pet of the Week for Aug. 6
(Community Briefs)
I don't get it. In…
Written by Mike Hoff
2012-08-07 18:20:30
Magnolia council looks at changing tax rate
(Top News)
that is awesome, You go…
Written by Lynn Wood
2012-08-06 21:17:18
Magnolia girl wins big at Pinto World Show
(Community Briefs)
We used to own property…
Written by Tiffany
2012-08-03 19:21:14
Waller County neighborhood battling developer
(Top News)
Its about time we see…
Written by Rob Carter
2012-08-02 22:33:59
Lacrosse is a booming sport in Magnolia
(Sports)
Alcohol suspected in fatal Magnolia area crash
Written on Tuesday 14 May 2013
Magnolia woman charged with embezzlement
Written on Tuesday 14 May 2013
Tomball clean up week deemed a success
Written on Tuesday 14 May 2013
Tomball Rails n Tails Mudbug festival draws record crowd
Written on Tuesday 14 May 2013