MO Pro-Lifers Hail Circuit Court Ruling Against Planned Parenthood
by Rusty Pugh
June 21, 2005
(AgapePress) - A circuit judge in Missouri has ruled that Planned Parenthood, the world's largest abortion provider, must pay back family planning grant money it illegally obtained from the state.Although some observers are already questioning whether the ruling will stand a test in the State Supreme Court, in the meantime the judge has ordered two Planned Parenthood branches in Missouri to pay back more than $668,000 in state funding. The decision upholds a prohibition on state money going to affiliates of abortion providers.
Pro-life spokesman Larry Webber is with the Missouri Catholic Conference, which publicized the ruling last week. "Six hundred and sixty-eight thousand dollars is a lot of money," he notes, adding that the general public "should be aware of the fact that, on a national basis, Planned Parenthood draws roughly a third of their funds from governmental sources."
Webber says his organization and other pro-life groups feel this is wrong. "We think it's very inappropriate that Planned Parenthood, which engages in activities which a large percentage of the American population finds immoral and objectionable, draws so much of its funds from governmental sources," he asserts.
The Missouri court's decision marks at least the third time a circuit judge has ruled that Planned Parenthood was not entitled to family planning money from the state. However, the state's Supreme Court overturned two previous cases without even addressing the merits.
Rusty Pugh, a regular contributor to AgapePress, is a reporter for American Family Radio News, which can be heard online.
