DENVER, Colo., Dec. 28, 2015 (Gephardt Daily) — Planned Parenthood of Utah has filed an appeal in Denver’s 10th Circuit Court to try to block Utah Gov. Gary Herbert’s attempts to reroute federal funds that previously were forwarded to the non-profit organization.
The appeal follows a Dec. 22 decision by Federal Judge Clark Waddoups to uphold the state of Utah’s right to withhold the $275,000 in federal money that previously was given to Planned Parenthood to help fund its $8 million per year, non-profit operation, which focuses on reproductive health and education. Herbert has said he intends to forward the available federal funds to other non-profit health organizations.
Herbert has said in a prepared statement that his decision to block funding that he was reacting, in part, to video recordings that linked Planned Parenthood to for-profit fetal tissue sales. The videos were produced by a the Center for Medical Progress, a California-based anti-abortion group.
Planned Parenthood representatives on the national level have said the tapes were edited to be misleading, and that it did not profit on fetal tissue sales, but did charge to covered the costs of the tissue transfer.
Karrie Galloway, Planned Parenthood of Utah president and CEO, said following the Dec. 22 decision by Waddoups that Federal funds received through the state of Utah have never been used to fund abortions, but was used to fund other services. Utah also has never sold fetal tissue, she said, adding that Utah also does not process fetal tissue that patients ask to have donated for medical research.
In September, Planned Parenthood of Utah sued Herbert, arguing that his August order to withhold fund violated the organization’s rights to free speech, equal protection, and due process.
Herbert said he would forward the $275,000 to other non-profit health organizations.
