ARKANSAS -- Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Friday ordered the state Department of Human Services to terminate its existing agreements with Planned Parenthood of Arkansas and Eastern Oklahoma, after several lawmakers asked him to do so. The state will break ties with the organization in 30 days, the Republican governor said.
Arkansas is one of at least three Southern states that has decided recently to eliminate Planned Parenthood funding.
"It is apparent that after the recent revelations on the actions of Planned Parenthood, that this organization does not represent the values of the people of our state and Arkansas is better served by terminating any and all existing contracts with them," Hutchinson said in a written statement.
"This includes their affiliated organization, Planned Parenthood of Arkansas and Eastern Oklahoma," the governor said.
In recent weeks, the conservative anti-abortion group Center for Medical Progress has released edited clips of conversations with Planned Parenthood executives, doctors and staff members in other states talking about how much money the organization would receive for providing various body parts for medical research.
Hutchinson said he appreciates "the Legislature's leadership on this important issue, especially that of Sen. Eddie Joe Williams and Rep. David Meeks."
Williams, a Republican from Cabot, and Meeks, a Republican from Conway, both asked the governor to cancel the state's Medicaid program's agreements with Planned Parenthood, said Hutchinson spokesman J.R. Davis.
But a spokesman for Iowa-based Planned Parenthood of the Heartland, which includes Planned Parenthood of Arkansas and Eastern Oklahoma, issued a written statement saying that "this political grandstanding could have real and devastating consequences for women who rely on Planned Parenthood for birth control, cancer screenings, STD [Sexually Transmitted Disease] tests and other lifesaving care.
"Singling out Planned Parenthood and attempting to bar a woman's access to our legal, constitutionally-protected health care services is clearly a violation of the Medicaid statute that requires that a woman have her choice among qualified providers," said spokesman Angie Remington.
Federal health officials have warned Louisiana and Alabama that they may be violating federal law by ending state Medicaid payments to Planned Parenthood, after both states announced they were cutting off the payments.
Asked whether terminating the Arkansas Medicaid program's agreements with Planned Parenthood would run afoul of federal law, Davis said that "we feel very confident that we can cancel this contract at any time, given a 30-day notice. We anticipate a federal review, but standing up for Arkansas values is most important to the governor," he said.
Earlier Friday, Hutchinson said he's "alarmed" and "terribly troubled by what I see in the national stories, which seems to be authentic, about the Planned Parenthood and the negotiation for the selling of unborn fetuses."
Planned Parenthood denies selling fetal organs or tissue, saying the money it receives is used to cover the cost of storage and transportation.
The state's Medicaid program has paid Planned Parenthood for family planning and gynecological services, such as pap smears, as a Medicaid provider during recent years, said state Department of Human Services spokesman Amy Webb.
During the past several years, the Medicaid program has paid Planned Parenthood of Arkansas $241,554 in fiscal 2010, $168,993 in fiscal 2011, $127,673 in fiscal 2012, $139,864 in fiscal 2013, $139,456 in fiscal 2014, and $51,429 in fiscal 2015, Webb said.
The state's Medicaid program hasn't paid Planned Parenthood for any abortions because Medicaid funds can only be used for an abortion in cases of incest, rape or life of the mother is at risk under the federal Hyde Amendment, Webb said.
Hutchinson told reporters that state Rep. Nate Bell, an independent from Mena who left the Republican Party a few months ago, was among those urging him to reconsider Planned Parenthood funding.
Bell, whose wife works as an aide to Hutchinson, said it's been the intent of the Republican-dominated Legislature to end public funding of Planned Parenthood.
Hutchinson noted that the Legislature enacted a law earlier this year to bar the disbursement of state funds to entities that perform elective abortions or give abortion referrals, but it exempted Medicaid funding.
Williams and Meeks said they welcomed Hutchinson's decision to cut ties with Planned Parenthood.
"I think it was in the best interest of Arkansas that we terminate the contract," Williams said.
In a press release on Friday, Arkansas Senate majority leader Jim Hendren said: "The Arkansas Senate Republican Caucus stands with Governor Hutchinson and his decision to cancel Medicaid contracts with Planned Parenthood. Recent revelations detailing the barbaric, cruel and illegal practice of harvesting the organs of unborn babies for profit make it clear that this organization does not share Arkansas values. We are proud of the legislature's action during the last session to pass Act 996 prohibiting direct payments to Planned Parenthood and are glad to see the Governor taking additional steps to ensure the hard-earned tax dollars of Arkansans do not flow to any organization so out of line with the people of our state."
Michael R. Wickline contributed to this report.
General News on 08/19/2015