BREAKING: Planned Parenthood Wins Round in US Court Against Utah Governor’s Attempt to Defund
In Utah, Planned Parenthood has won the first round in court against Republican Governor Gary Herbert, getting a temporary injunction preventing him from revoking Planned Parenthood’s contracts with state agencies. Herbert ordered these contracts voided based on (you guessed it) the deliberately deceptive videos produced by the Orwellian “Center for Medical Progress.”
The judge found that Herbert’s plans to defund the organization would result in significant negative impacts on public health.
“The programs carried out by plaintiff target at-risk individuals and the reduction of communicable diseases,” he wrote. “These are strong public interests that outweigh the defendants’ stated interests in defunding” the group.
The judge also sided with Planned Parenthood in finding “a substantial likelihood” that it would prevail on the merits of its arguments that Herbert, a Republican, had violated its constitutional rights to equal protection and freedom of association.
The plaintiffs were singled out based on their “association with an organization against whom accusations have been made of illegal conduct,” the judge said. “Those accusations are still under investigation and have not been proved.”
A spokeswoman for the governor, Aimee Edwards, said he “stands by his actions,” adding: “Today’s procedural action does not deter Governor Herbert’s resolve to carry out his directive.”