Court Rejects Planned Parenthood’s Bid to Continue State Contract in Oklahoma

12/27/12

On Monday, U.S. District Judge Stephen Friot of the Western District of Oklahoma rejected Planned Parenthood's bid to prevent Oklahoma from terminating its contract with the organization. The contract was related to providing food vouchers and other aid to poor mothers in Tulsa. According to court documents, the contract by the state of Oklahoma under the federal Women, Infant and Children's (WIC) program, will be ending on Jan 1.

Loss of the contract, according to Planned Parenthood's submission at the court, would force the organization to shut down one of its three clinics in Tulsa. According to state officials, that is no ground for continuance of contract, and the other clinics of Planned Parenthood can absorb the caseload of the clinic that would shut down.

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While Planned Parenthood does not carry out abortions in Oklahoma, it refers women to clinics where abortions are done. The organization also provides “morning after” pills, long-criticized by opponents as abortion-inducing drugs.

Planned Parenthood went to court alleging that Oklahoma was ending its contract with the organization over political reasons.

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The court, in rejecting the petition by Planned Parenthood, observed that the organization had failed to prove that its contract with the state had been terminated due to political reasons or due to the group's anti-abortion stance.

In his decision, Judge Friot remarked that the drops in caseload suffered by Planned Parenthood did not appear to be the problems leading to termination of the contract. He wrote, “But a routine, solvable problem can become a justifiable basis for strong action when it is compounded by persistent unresponsiveness in addressing the challenge.”

Oklahoma authorities, on their part, had claimed at court that politics had no part in their ending the 18-year old contract, but poor performance by Planned Parenthood clinics was the reason.

Planned Parenthood holds that its anti-abortion stance had a role to play, and earlier, a bill brought in the legislature to prohibit the state from contracting with Planned Parenthood due to its anti-abortion stance having failed, the state authorities were citing cosmetic reasons to maintain their political agenda.