The administration of former Republican presidential candidate Gov. John Kasich (R-Ohio) has given Planned Parenthood a waiver allowing it to continue performing abortions — even though it goes against state law.
The waiver has many pro-life advocates up in arms because Planned Parenthood failed to comply with Ohio state law —a law that makes it mandatory for surgical facilities to have an emergency patient-transfer agreement in place with a local hospital.
Ohio Department of Health Director Richard Hodges issued Planned Parenthood permission by issuing it a variance last week so that the abortion giant’s clinic in Cincinnati’s suburb of Mount Auburn will be able to continue aborting babies for at least another year.
The recently granted variance extends Planned Parenthood’s ability to perform abortions through May 31, 2017. Its previously held variance expired earlier this week on Tuesday, and Hodges’ issuance comes just in time for the scandal-laden abortion provider to continue terminating preborn babies’ lives without disruption.
In an attempt to justify the Kasich administration’s decision to award Planned Parenthood with the new variance while breaking state law, Hodges wrote a letter explaining its reasoning. In it, he insisted that because the world’s largest abortion provider listed four doctors who agreed to provide “backup care,” the Kasich was persuaded to issue the waiver.
Kasich really pro-life?
Many pro-life leaders and other advocates championing the sanctity of human life expressed dismay over Kasich’s decision to issue Planned Parenthood’s variance — especially after his recent presidential campaign that touted the Ohio governor’s pro-life stance.
Right to Life of Greater Cincinnati Executive Director Paula Westwood felt betrayed by Kasich standing in Planned Parenthood’s corner over the matter.
“No hospital in Greater Cincinnati, including Northern Kentucky, will enter into a transfer agreement with Planned Parenthood of Southwest Ohio’s abortion headquarters in Cincinnati,” Westwood told LifeSiteNews in an interview.
She maintains that the Kasich administration’s siding with Planned Parenthood is irresponsible, dangerous and against the law.
“This indicates a concern on the part of the area’s leading professional healthcare entities regarding the legitimacy of care clients actually receive at this abortion facility,” Westwood continued. “Yet the Ohio Department of Health continues to enable Planned Parenthood in Cincinnati to operate despite no transfer agreement and without a license at risk to women’s health and safety.”
Still not satisfied
Despite Kasich handing Planned Parenthood a victory in his own state, the government-funded abortion provider insists that the state of Ohio hasn’t gone far enough to accommodate it.
“Meanwhile, Planned Parenthood and another abortion business are suing Ohio over a new law automatically denying variances if the Department of Health does not respond in 60 days,” LIfeSiteNews reports. “The plaintiffs claim the new law is unconstitutional, does not increase patient safety and is ‘not medically necessary.’”
Addressing the matter, U.S. District Judge Michael Barret stayed the new law by issuing a preliminary injunction. Barrett reasoned that he believes that the abortionists will probably succeed in their legal action against the state.
However, the state is not prepared to take the abortionists’ attack lying down.
Responding to the lawsuit, Assistant Ohio Attorney General Nicole M. Koppitch warned about the dire consequences — if the abortionists are successful.
“If the clinics have their way … facilities that lack an important safety requirement would be permitted to continue to operate and to continue putting patients at risk,” Koppitch explained. “It is precisely this concern that the automatic suspension provision seeks to prevent.”
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Copyright American Family News. Reprinted with permission.
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