The health care regulators in Florida dropped their complaints against Planned Parenthood, claiming that such action would be redundant since the governor has already signed a bill that places new restrictions on abortions and prohibits the money of the state from going to abortion clinics.
Although President Barack Obama vetoed the congressional bid made by the Republicans to stop funding Planned Parenthood, many politicians and pro-life activists are achieving a growing portion of their aim with an aggressive state-by-state movement. The Herald News reported that Governor Rick Scott signed a bill on Friday that blocks Planned Parenthood from accessing state funds.
Documents from the court show that the Agency for Health Care Administration asked an administrative judge to drop the complaints which were filed last year against clinics located in Naples, Fort Myers, and St. Petersburg. The state alleged that the clinics had performed second-trimester abortions that are against the law and violated their licenses.
Planned Parenthood claimed that the clinics in Florida were following the law and were fighting the charges. The organization and its representatives have maintained that the abortions were executed during the first trimester and that regulators tried to modify the definition to justify an inspection headed by Gov. Rick Stott. According to Naples News, an administrative hearing was set for early April in Tallahassee.
Gov. Rick Stott ordered the investigation of 16 clinics in Florida last summer after video footages surfaced showing organization officials discussing research on fetal organs. However, state investigators did not find proof or evidence that Planned Parenthood in Florida bought or sold human tissue or organs.
CEO of Planned Parenthood of Central and Southwest Florida Barbara Zdravecky said the decision to drop the complaints six months later implies that the charges were "politically motivated" even from the beginning. Planned Parenthood filed its own motion asking the administrative judge to order the state of Florida to reimburse attorney fees the organization spent defending three clinics, reports the Daily Mail.
Planned Parenthood has become a national target due to its role as the largest US abortion provider. Federal law and the laws of most US states already barred public money from paying abortions except in unique circumstances. The recent bill on defunding Planned Parenthood prohibits state money for any services like health screenings and contraceptive services offered by the organization.
