Pro-abortion lobby strikes back in Ohio

A judge on Friday prevented Ohio from cutting federal taxpayer funding from 28 Planned Parenthood clinics, setting back the governor’s hopes of stopping the women’s health services group from providing abortions.

U.S. District Judge Michael Barrett said the law was unconstitutional and would cause “irreparable injury” to Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio and Southwest Ohio and their patients.

The Ohio law signed in February by Republican Governor and former presidential hopeful John Kasich stripped US$1.3 million from any healthcare organization that includes abortions among its services.

The law was scheduled to go into effect in May before Judge Barrett temporarily halted it on May 23. Ohio already has a law barring the use of state funding for abortions.