Good news in Kansas! Judge blocks defunding of Planned Parenthood

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Kansas has been facing heavy attacks from anti-choicers this summer, but on Monday a federal judge stood up against one of them:

An incredulous federal judge on Monday rejected the state’s claim that a new Kansas statute that denied Planned Parenthood federal funding did not target the group, ruling that the law unconstitutionally intended to punish Planned Parenthood for advocating for abortion rights and would likely be overturned.

U.S. District Judge J. Thomas Marten granted the request from Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri for a temporary injunction blocking enforcement of the law, which would require the state to allocate federal family planning dollars first to public health departments and hospitals, and leave no money for Planned Parenthood or similar groups.

I’m very glad to see the court recognizing this is a vindictive attack by anti-abortion forces, especially given Title X funding can’t even be used to provide abortions.

About a month ago a judge also temporarily blocked the state’s new clinic regulations, known as TRAP laws (Targeted Regulation of Abortion Providers), which could have shut down clinics in the state. So, while the Kansas legislature is bringing their harshest attacks on reproductive health access yet, at least for now the courts are standing in the way of this extremist agenda.

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