Page 2 - AT

A2 UP FRONT
Tuesday 11 december 2018
H
Here is your chance! WIN TWO FREE TICKETS toere is your chance! WIN TWO FREE TICKETS to
the ULTIMATE 3 NIGHTS Caribbean paradise he ULTIMATE 3 NIGHTS Caribbean paradise
t
VACATION at the PRESTIGIOUSACATION at the PRESTIGIOUS
V
A
ARUBA MARRIOTT RESORT AND CASINO*RUBA MARRIOTT RESORT AND CASINO*
OUR OFFER INCLUDES:
*Welcome gift bag
*Three dinner coupons
*$1000 shopping coupon valid at
either of our locations

Justices won’t hear states’ appeal over Planned Parenthood

By MARK SHERMAN That makes the Court’s de-
Associated Press cision particularly troubling,
WASHINGTON (AP) — The as the question presented
Supreme Court on Mon- has nothing to do with
day avoided a high-profile abortion,” Thomas wrote.
case by rejecting appeals The dispute over funding
from Kansas and Louisiana for Planned Parenthood
in their effort to strip Med- stemmed from the July
icaid money from Planned 2015 release by the anti-
Parenthood, over the dis- abortion group Center for
senting votes of three jus- Medical Progress of a series
tices. The court’s order of edited videos purport-
reflected a split among its edly depicting Planned
conservative justices and Parenthood of America ex-
an accusation from Jus- ecutives talking about the
tice Clarence Thomas that sale of fetal tissue. Planned
his colleagues seemed to Parenthood has said it did
be ducking the case for not seek any payments be-
political reasons. New Jus- yond legally permitted re-
tice Brett Kavanaugh was imbursement of costs.
among the justices who Catherine Glenn Foster,
opted not to hear the case. president and CEO of the
The two states were ap- anti-abortion Americans
pealing lower court rulings United for Life, said the
that had blocked them In this Oct. 4, 2018 photo, the U.S. Supreme Court is seen at sunset in Washington. court should have heard
from withholding money Associated Press the case. “But the good
that is used for health ser- Medicaid funding deci- news is that there are oth-
vices for low-income wom- sions, private individuals or er similar cases pending in
en. The money is not used only the federal govern- lower courts, which may
for abortions. Abortion op- ment. The states say that give the Supreme Court
ponents have said Planned the Medicaid program, another opportunity to de-
Parenthood should not a joint venture of federal cide this important issue.
receive any government and state governments In the meantime, AUL will
money, and they seized on to provide health care to continue to fight to protect
heavily edited videos that poorer Americans, makes states from being forced
claimed to show the na- clear that only the Secre- to use their limited public
tion’s largest abortion pro- tary of Health and Human funds to subsidize abortion
vider profiting from sales Services can intervene, by businesses,” Foster said.
of fetal tissue for medical withholding money from a Planned Parenthood
research. Investigations state. Most lower federal president Dr. Leana Wen
sparked by the videos in courts have found that praised the decision to
several states didn’t result private parties can chal- leave the lower court rul-
in criminal charges. lenge Medicaid funding ings in place. “As a doctor,
The dispute at the high decisions in court, although I have seen what’s at stake
court has nothing to do the federal appeals court when people cannot ac-
with abortion, as Thomas in St. Louis rejected a simi- cess the care they need,
pointed out in a dissent lar court challenge and and when politics gets in
that was joined by Justices allowed Arkansas to end the way of people mak-
Samuel Alito and Neil Gor- its contract with Planned ing their own health care
such. Kavanaugh’s deci- Parenthood. A split among choices. We won’t stop
sion not to join the three jus- federal appeals courts is fighting for every patient
tices was his first discernible often a reason for the Su- who relies on Planned Par-
vote on the court. Had he preme Court to step in. enthood for life-saving, life-
or Chief Justice John Rob- “So what explains the changing care,” Wen said.
erts voted to hear the case, court’s refusal to do its job Kansas’ outgoing Republi-
there would have been the here? I suspect it has some- can governor and incom-
four votes necessary to set thing to do with the fact ing Democratic admin-
the case for arguments. that some respondents in istration offered differing
The issue is who has the these cases are named reactions to the court’s
right to challenge a state’s ‘Planned Parenthood.’ action.q