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Federal Court of Appeals: Texas can cut off funding for Planned Parenthood

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Texas officials are vowing to cut off funding for Planned Parenthood after a federal court sided with the state in a challenge over a new law that bans clinics affiliated with abortion providers from getting money through a health program for low-income women.

The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans late Tuesday reversed a federal judge’s temporary injunction that was allowing the funding to continue pending an October trial on Planned Parenthood’s challenge to the law.

State officials are seeking to halt money to Planned Parenthood clinics that provide family planning and health services as part of the state’s Women’s Health Program because the Republican-led Texas Legislature passed a law banning funds to organizations linked to abortion providers.

Planned Parenthood provides services like cancer screenings – but not abortions – to about half of the 130,000 low-income Texas women enrolled in the program, which is designed to provide services to women who might not otherwise qualify for Medicaid.

The appeals court’s decision means Texas is now free to impose the ban.

Read more from this story HERE.

Fmr KS AG Phill Kline: Planned Parenthood broke law, wrong to dismiss charges

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Planned Parenthood was investigated for illegal late-term abortion and failure to report child rape as required by law. Evidence obtained revealed that during a time the abortion provider performed hundreds of abortions on children 13 years of age and younger Planned Parenthood only reported one case of child molestation. The evidence included witness statements and reports from former Planned Parenthood employees.

This portion of the case died due to obstruction by the Administration of former Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius and former Attorney General Morrison who was recruited by Ms. Sebelius to run for Attorney General. Ms. Sebelius is a political beneficiary of Planned Parenthood.

Other evidence indicated that Planned Parenthood lied about the gestational age of the fetus in order to justify an abortion. Kansas law allowed abortions on a non-viable fetus for any reason. State law, however, severely restricted late-term abortions on viable fetuses.

The case filed against Planned Parenthood alleged that Planned Parenthood falsely reported the gestational age of the fetus in order to claim the fetus was not viable. The evidence demonstrating this conduct was present in every abortion record obtained. These allegations were supported by the expert report of Dr. T. Murphy Goodwin, one of our nation’s premiere neonatologists.

The District Attorney announced today that he was dismissing these charges because it was his opinion that the gestational age stated by Planned Parenthood arguably indicated the fetus was viable. His statement misses the point and indicated he doesn’t understand the case.

First, the District Attorney improperly defines “viability” but more importantly he completely ignores the allegation that Planned Parenthood lied about the gestational age of the fetus.

Read more at Page 2 HERE.

Attorney conceived in rape to speak in Anchorage, comments on Akin controversy

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By Steven Ertelt. Rebecca Kiessling, a pro-life attorney from Michigan, fully understands the national debate going on concerning the controversial comments Missouri Senate candidate Todd Akin made about abortion and rape. Kiessling was conceived when her mother was victimized by a rapist.  [She contends that discussion of “legitimate rape” has no place in a pro-life candidate’s discussion of abortion]:

“If you are 100% pro-life with no rape exceptions, there is no need to question the veracity of a rape victims’ account, because you are against all abortions. It would not matter if a woman was not or not raped,” she stated.

While abortion advocates often talk about supporting a woman’s right to privacy, Kiessling says rape exceptions in abortion laws turn that notion on its head.

“Rape exceptions in the law actually put the government in the position of having to ascertain when the child was conceived, who the father is, whether the child was conceived during the alleged rape or during intercourse with her husband or boyfriend, and if the child was conceived during the time frame of the alleged rape, then the government would need to determine whether the sexual intercourse was consensual or not,” she explained. “So rape exceptions serve to perpetuate the injustice against rape victims that their accounts are to be viewed with skepticism, and it further leaves the majority of impregnated rape victims wholly unprotected under the law. Rape exceptions suggest that a “real rape victim” couldn’t possibly love “the rapist’s baby” and that rape victim mothers don’t exist.”  Read more from this story HERE.

On October 11, 2012, Ms. Kiessling will be speaking at the annual Alaska Right to Life Dinner in Anchorage:

Rebecca Kiessling is a Family Law attorney, adoptee, and home school adoptive mother of 5 children — the oldest two are adopted. She delivers a powerful presentation of her own life story, “Conceived in Rape: From Worthless to Priceless.” Rebecca was adopted nearly from birth and, like many adoptees, struggled with issues of value, identity and purpose. At 18, Rebecca was devastated to learn that she was conceived out of a brutal rape at knifepoint by a serial rapist. Rebecca believes her life was spared for a purpose, and has devoted herself to fighting for the rights of the innocent unborn and to raising her 5 children to know their own value, identity and purpose in Christ.

The sit-down dinner will begin promptly at 7 p.m. and the program will immediately follow. This event is being underwritten so there is no charge to attend, however this banquet is the most important fundraiser of the year for Alaska Right to Life and a financial appeal will be made. Register by phone or email.

Fmr KS AG Phill Kline: Planned Parenthood broke law, wrong to dismiss charges-page 3

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The District Attorney also did not follow up on evidence that demonstrated that Planned Parenthood was illegally referring patients to Dr. Tiller to perform abortions Planned Parenthood knew to be illegal. Planned Parenthood records demonstrated that some of their patients, according to Planned Parenthood, were carrying a healthy viable late-term fetus. Planned Parenthood also reported the mothers were physically and mentally healthy.

Under Kansas law an abortion of a healthy viable fetus is illegal unless the birth of the child would cause the mother “severe and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function.” Despite the fact that Planned Parenthood concluded the mother was healthy and the fetus was viable, Planned Parenthood, nevertheless, referred the patients to Dr. Tiller who performed illegal abortions on these patients. This evidence was not pursued by the District Attorney.

The investigation included employee and patient informants who, to my knowledge, were never contacted by the District Attorney’s office.

This evidence was reviewed by independent District Judges who found probable cause to believe Planned Parenthood committed crimes. In fact, in every single instance the evidence was reviewed, probable cause was found. Yet now, none of these charges will ever reach open court.

The law allows a prosecutor the discretion to abandon prosecutions against powerful defendants – even when judges have found probable cause for the case to move to trial. This fact, however, does not make this decision correct but only demonstrates the District Attorney acted out of political fear rather than a sound understanding of the law, the facts or the case.

Fmr KS AG Phill Kline: Planned Parenthood broke law, wrong to dismiss charges-page 2

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Dr. Goodwin determined the gram weight of the aborted fetus by analyzing the pathology report. The gram weight indicated the fetus was much later in gestation than Planned Parenthood claimed and it was Dr. Goodwin’s conclusion that every single abortion performed in the 29 records obtained was on a viable fetus and, therefore, was illegal.

This allegation was also supported by other witnesses and a review of the files from Dr. Tiller’s clinic in Wichita. Doctors who performed abortions for Planned Parenthood would also perform abortions at Dr. Tiller’s clinics. Eyewitnesses and records revealed that when those doctors were at Dr. Tiller’s clinic they engaged in the same conduct – misrepresenting the gestational age of the fetus in order to justify illegal late-term abortions.

It is not surprising the District Attorney does not understand the charges as, to my knowledge, his office did not contact any of these witnesses, obtain any of the records relating to Dr. Tiller’s clinic, never acted to preserve the testimony of Dr. Goodwin nor tried to contact anyone involved in the initial investigation.

The news release also claims that it was necessary to dismiss some of the older charges because the statute of limitations prohibited the filing of those charges. This statement ignores the claim that Planned Parenthood misrepresented the gestational age of the fetus thus tolling the statute of limitations.

In November of last year the District Attorney announced that he was dismissing the 23 felony charges against Planned Parenthood because documents key to that prosecution were destroyed by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment in 2005, at a time the agency was managed by former Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius.

Mr. Howe also announced that Sebelius appointee, former Attorney General Stephen Six, destroyed other key evidence in May of 2009 at a time Mr. Six knew the records were part of a criminal prosecution against Planned Parenthood. This obstruction by the Sebelius Administration and her appointees was harmful to the case but not fatal. The necessary records to proceed were in the possession of Shawnee County District Court Judge Richard Anderson who recently reported that Mr. Howe’s office never made any written request for the records. The District Attorney’s office also had a set of copies.

Read conclusion at Page 3 HERE.

Video: Obama-Planned Parenthood Protester Spits on Romney Supporter

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An Obama protester, after asking a question about Planned Parenthood and indicating her support for taxpayer-funded abortion, spits on a Romney supporter at about :25 of this video.

All Planned Parenthood Charges Dropped After Sebelius Document Shredding

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All of the charges against a Planned Parenthood abortion business have been dropped after one of the most politically biased cases pro-life groups say they can remember. The case was embroiled in controversy after it was found documents critical to it were destroyed during the administration of former Gov. Kathleen Sebelius.

Earlier this month, a Kansas judge dismissed dozens of misdemeanor charges alleging that the abortion business failed to test whether an unborn child was viable (as required by state law) before doing a late-term abortion, and that it manipulated records it submitted to the state to cover up those crimes.

Planned Parenthood filed motions seeking to dismiss the criminal case involving 58 counts related to illegal late-term abortions. It wanted all charges dropped and Judge Stephen Tatum dismissed them all.

Now, prosecutors announced today they are dismissing the rest of the charges as Johnson County District Attorney Steve Howe and Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt made the joint decision today about dropping the final 32 charges.

Peter Brownlie, president of Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri applauded the dismissal, telling the Kansas City Star: “The dismissal of these charges is a strong blow against those who have been using this case to further their political agenda to eliminate access to abortion care and harm Planned Parenthood. It makes clear what Planned Parenthood has said throughout this case: that Kline, Brownback and their supporters are willing to use any means they can to accomplish their ends, including misusing the law enforcement and judicial systems at great taxpayer expense.”

Read more from this story HERE.

Planned Parenthood Never Called 911 for Mother who died from Abortion

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Documents a pro-life group has obtained show the Planned Parenthood abortion business, which waited five hours before sending a woman who died from a botched legal abortion to the hospital, never called 911.

Initially, Steve Miller of the CBS news affiliate WBBM released a report showing documents released in the botched abortion death of Tonya Reaves that alarmingly showed Planned Parenthood delayed summoning emergency care for the dying woman for five and a half hours after the abortion failed.

Now, John Jansen of the Pro-Life Action League indicates his group today obtained documents verifying that Planned Parenthood’s Loop Health Center in Chicago did not call 911 on the day 24-year old Tonya Reaves died after having an abortion at the facility.

“Documents obtained via the Freedom of Information Act show [PDF] that only one call to 911 was made on Friday, July 20 from the building located at 18 S. Michigan, which houses Planned Parenthood and several other tenants,” Jansen said. “It’s unclear which tenant in the building placed that call, made at 12:46 p.m., but it was concerning an instance of child abuse, and thus could not possibly have been related to Tonya Reaves.”

“Planned Parenthood’s unfathomable negligence in the death of Tonya Reaves raises numerous questions that demand answers,” Jansen added. “Why didn’t Planned Parenthood call 911 immediately once Tonya Reaves started experiencing complications following her abortion?”

Read more from this story HERE.

Fall ’40 Days for Life’ kicks off; submit your application now!

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“Ex Planned Parenthood manager — fired after speaking out against a dangerous abortion procedure — conducts 40 Days for Life campaign outside her former workplace, leading to its permanent closure.”

But, as Jesus said in Matthew 19:26, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Watch the 9-minute video above that tells the story of the miracle in Storm Lake, Iowa.

God does work miracles … and He can accomplish many more miracles like this when we are faithful to His call to “speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves.”

If a former Planned Parenthood manager can muster the courage to lead a 40 Days for Life campaign outside of her former workplace, could God be calling YOU to lead a 40 Days for Life campaign in your community?

Read more from this story HERE.

Click HERE for the 40 Days for Life website and application.

Photo credit: afagen

Huge Win for Life: Appeals Court Upholds South Dakota’s Strict Informed Consent Law

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A federal appeals court has upheld a provision of a South Dakota law requiring the states lone abortion business, operated by Planned Parenthood, that it has to inform women of the validity of the link between abortion and suicide. With women facing a host of mental health issues following an abortion, Planned Parenthood can no longer keep women in the dark about them.

An en banc panel of the court declared that South Dakota’s statute that requires abortion doctors to disclose to pregnant mothers that an abortion places the mother at increased risk for suicide ideation and suicide constitutional because the disclosure is truthful, non-misleading, and relevant to the pregnant mother’s decision of whether or not to consent to an abortion.

Harold J. Cassidy, a pro-life attorney who represented Leslee Unruh, president of the Alpha Center of Sioux Falls, and Stacy Wollman, president of Care Net of Rapid City — two pregnancy centers that provide abortion alternatives — sent LifeNews details about the decision.

He called the decision “a fabulous victory for the women of the State of South Dakota.”

“The Court ruled that the women will now be given additional important information before they consent to an abortion: that the abortion places a woman at increased risk of suicide ideation and suicide,” he said. “This victory represents the fourth separate decision of the Eighth Circuit reversing the District Court in this one case, two decisions issued by en banc Courts four years apart – a rare occurrence that underscores the importance of the issues presented by the case.”

Read more from this story HERE, detailing the requirements of the upheld South Dakota law including informing mothers:

(1) that “an abortion terminates the life of a whole, separate, unique, living human being;”
(2) that the mother’s “relationship with that second human being enjoys protection under the Constitution of the United States and the Laws of South Dakota;”
(3) that relationship and all rights attached to it will be terminated; and
(4) the abortion places the mother “at increased risk for suicide ideation and suicide.”

Photo credit: BrianSwant