In a 6-3 ruling, the Supreme Court upheld South Carolina’s ban on Medicaid funding going to Planned Parenthood for health services like contraception and cancer screenings, opening the door for other states to do the same.
While the decision does not directly impact Oklahoma, state House Democratic Leader Cyndi Munson says that may change next legislative session.
"Looking historically, especially with a Republican supermajority legislature and all of our statewide elected officials being Republicans who have been adamantly opposed to ensuring that women have access to reproductive health care services in our state, I have no doubt that they would probably support and make efforts," she said.
Planned Parenthood Great Plains, which services Oklahoma, Kansas, Arkansas, and Missouri, says the Supreme Court decision could lead to patients being restricted from care providers they trust.
"Oklahomans deserve care that puts their needs first, not politics," PPGP CEO Emily Wales says.
The budget bill backed by President Donald Trump in Congress also cuts Medicaid money to Planned Parenthood, which the organization expects to cause the closure of about 200 centers across the country.
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