Legislation to Channel Money Away From Planned Parenthood Advances

A bill designed to keep federal funds away from Planned Parenthood is advancing through both chambers of the state legislature.

Wednesday, the Senate Health committee approved its version of the bill, which would rework the way family planning funds are distributed. Earlier this week its companion measure passed out of the House public health subcommittee.

Joey Hensley is sponsoring the House bill.

“This $1.1 million, there’s a lot of concern around the state that it goes to Planned Parenthood that provides most the abortions in the state. It just feels like federal tax dollars, our tax dollars, should not go to an entity that provided abortions.”

Sponsors say they hadn’t intended to push the legislation this year. That’s until an anti-abortion group published a video allegedly showing a Planned Parenthood worker in Memphis encouraging a purported 14-year-old to lie about her boyfriend’s age in order to get an abortion.

Joe White contributed to this report.