A federal appeals court is ordering Utah to continue sending money to the state branch of Planned Parenthood.
Utah Governor Gary Herbert announced he was cutting off federal funding last fall for Planned Parenthood’s state STD and sex education programs. The move came after the release of secretly recorded videos showed employees discussing fetal tissue from abortions. A three judge panel on the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals concluded that the order to block funding may have violated the organization’s constitutional rights.
Planned Parenthood Association of Utah President Karrie Galloway said in a statement that the ruling is a major victory for patients and healthcare providers who want to provide services to Utahns free of discrimination.
Jon Cox, a spokesman for the Utah governor’s office said in a statement that Herbert is disappointed in the ruling and that state officials should be able to make contract decisions rather than a distant federal court. Cox also said the governor will review the ruling to determine the state's next steps.
In the meantime, the appeals court judges extended a court order keeping the money flowing while a lawsuit goes back to a judge in Utah.