'Defund Planned Parenthood' law struck down in Ohio is similar to Tennessee's

A federal appeals court has struck down as constitutionally flawed an Ohio law that shares language and intent — “defunding Planned Parenthood” — with a law recently enacted in Tennessee.

The 6th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals this week ruled the government can’t ban a provider of health services from state or federal money solely because it offers abortion counseling or elective abortions.

The ruling came in a challenge by Planned Parenthoods of Greater Ohio and the Southwest Ohio Region to an Ohio law that barred abortion providers from state funds that went toward services that had nothing to do with abortion.

“Although the government has no obligation to subsidize constitutionally protected activity, it may not use its control over funds to curtail the exercise of constitutionally protected rights outside the scope of a government-funded program,” 6th Circuit Judge Helene N. White wrote in the opinion.

Read more: https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/crime/2018/04/19/ohio-law-same-aim-tennessees-defund-planned-parenthood-bill-struck-down/531856002/