REPUBLICAN OHIO LAWMAKERS RENEW EFFORTS TO DEFUND PLANNED PARENTHOOD
Republican state lawmakers in Ohio intend to renew their efforts to strip family planning funds from Planned Parenthood, as next week they will restart hearings on a bill that would redirect tax dollars to community health clinics.
House Health and Aging Committee Chairman Lynn Wachtmann (R-Napoleon) scheduled a possible vote to recommend passage of House Bill 298 for Wednesday during the General Assembly’s session.
The bill, which is backed by Ohio Right to Life and other anti-abortion groups, stalled last spring over concerns that it would divert funding from hospitals, which was not the supporters’ intent.
HB 298 would create a priority system for awarding federal family planning funds, and would put Planned Parenthood at the bottom of the list and may potentially cut off about $1.7 million that Planned Parenthood uses for birth control and preventative care.
While the money does not fund abortions, supporters of HB 298 argue that tax dollars shouldn’t go to any organization that performs the procedure
