Missouri Ruling
In Missouri, there's been a major court victory for pro-life forces, and a setback for Planned Parenthood. A judge has ruled that two Planned Parenthood organizations in Missouri must repay the state more than $105,000 for family planning money they received in July and August of last year. At the center of the ruling is a state law aimed at stopping taxpayer funding for groups affiliated with abortion providers. According to the Jefferson City Tribune, the judgment also means the two Planned Parenthood organizations will not get almost $700,000 in state funding that was headed their way before the end of this fiscal year. Jordan Cherrick is the St. Louis attorney who sought to block the payments. He says the judge clearly agreed with the argument that Planned Parenthood has been using state funds to subsidize abortions, refer patients to abortion clinics and market abortions, which is illegal under Missouri law. A spokesman for Planned Parenthood says they're outraged with the decision and will appeal.
Iowa Pro-life Group
After five years of efforts to stop construction on a new abortion clinic in the quad cities area of Iowa, the Life and Family Coalition of Bettendorf has won a victory. The group had purchased property across the street from Planned Parenthood, effectively stopping any further development. Coalition spokesperson Luana Stoltenberg says there are plans to build a Life and Family Center on the site across from Planned Parenthood. The coalition has placed a temporary office on the land, to be used in the development of a study to test community support for the new center.
