Utah lawmakers planning to defund Planned Parenthood, restrict abortions
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) Two Utah lawmakers say they're planning to propose legislation that would defund Planned Parenthood in the state and restrict late-term abortions.
Republican Sen. Margaret Dayton of Orem said Wednesday that she's grateful the governor moved to stop the flow of federal money through state agencies and she wants the legislature to take a similar step.
A federal judge has blocked the action by Republican Gov. Gary Herbert sparked by the release of secretly recorded videos by a California anti-abortion group.
Republican Sen. Curt Bramble of Provo says he's preparing a bill to restrict abortions after the time when a fetus can feel pain, which anti-abortion advocates say happens around 20 weeks into development.
The lawmakers spoke during a news conference at the Utah State Capitol announcing a new pro-life coalition.
After the news conference the Planned Parenthood Association of Utah, an affiliate of the national organization made a statement in a press release:
"This is an attempt, plain and simple, to score political points at the expense of the Utah women, men, and families who rely on Planned Parenthood for health care and education.
"We predicted that more anti-women's health extremists would jump on this bandwagon. It's unfortunate that politicians in our state think they can score political points for interfering in private medical decisions. However, these attacks on our patients are deeply unpopular - the majority of voters nationwide (including 62 percent of Republicans) say that attempting to end safe and legal abortion before the point of viability is the wrong issue for state legislatures to be spending their time on .
"Despite these attacks on our patients - including many of Senator Dayton and Senator Bramble's constituents - Planned Parenthood is committed to providing care, no matter what. Planned Parenthood Association of Utah receives no direct funding from the state and this announcement will not affect any of our nine health centers or community education programs. As they were yesterday, our doors are open today, and they will be tomorrow. We will not let anti-women's health extremists block our patients from getting the care they need."
