Dive Brief:
- Planned Parenthood filed a lawsuit Sunday against Ohio in a bid to prevent state Attorney General Mike DeWine from blocking its abortion services, reports Reuters.
- The legal action was filed in Cincinnati's federal court in the name of three Planned Parenthood clinics that perform abortions. It asked for a restraining order and a preliminary injunction against Ohio.
- The filing came in quick response to statements by DeWine that he planned to block the facilities from contracting with companies that dispose of fetal remains in landfills, which he says is in violation of state administrative rules.
Dive Insight:
The Ohio attorney general's action was sparked by this year's controversial videos released by an anti-abortion group claiming Planned Parenthood was selling fetal tissue. While DeWine says an investigation found no such evidence in Ohio, it was discovered some aborted remains were being incinerated while others were left in landfills.
Ohio Planned Parenthood President Stephanie Kight told the media the organization has disposed of fetal remains in the same manner as other healthcare providers. She suggests the state's proposed action would be discriminatory and violate the organization's right to due process and equal protection under the law, Reuters reports.