The Fifth Circuit (Texas) rules that Planned Parenthood can be excluded from health program.

A federal appeals court, on Thursday, refused to grant another hearing to the organization, a decision that stops the organization’s fight against Texas’ effort to ban state funding for Planned Parenthood affiliates.
Texas Gov. Rick Perry applauded the decision, by the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals.

“Today’s ruling affirms yet again that in Texas the Women’s Health Program has no obligation to fund Planned Parenthood and other organizations that perform or promote abortion. In Texas we choose life, and we will immediately begin defunding all abortion affiliates to honor and uphold that choice,” Perry said.

The decision continues a legal struggle that has been going on for months.
The Texas Women’s Health Program provides about 130,000 low-income women with family planning exams, related health screenings and contraception.

Texas opposed government funding for Planned Parenthood clinics because the organization provides abortions.

The state said in March that it was willing to give up funding from Washington and run the Women’s Health Program itself.

Never mind that abortions aren’t the only service provided by PP or that many women are only able to obtain preventative health services because of PP. This now reduces access to health care for those women.

But the greater goal of killing PP is alive and well.