
Planned Parenthood has filed a federal lawsuit to protect access to abortions in Ohio. The lawsuit (opens in new tab) was filed on Sunday after state officials accused them of illegally disposing of aborted fetuses.
On Friday, Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine said a four-month investigation of three Planned Parenthood facilities showed they had contracted with a medical waste company that was disposing of medical tissue in a Kentucky landfill. According to Ohio law, the only rule (opens in new tab) about disposal is that "the fetus shall be disposed of in a humane manner."
DeWine argued last week that "disposing of them in a landfill is not humane," and said that he and Rick Hodges, director of the Ohio Department of Health, were filing a court injunction (opens in new tab) "to restrict Planned Parenthood activities where violations of law have occurred," Hodges said in a statement.
Planned Parenthood argues that they have, in fact, been acting in accordance of the law and that the state officials never confronted them with concerns and, instead, went straight to the press and threatened to take legal action.
"Planned Parenthood handles medical tissue just like other health care providers do," Jerry Lawson, CEO of Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio, said in a statement. "We work with licensed medical removal companies to handle fetal tissue respectfully and safely. It's clear from the Attorney General's press conference that we've acted properly and legally, and this is just part of his longstanding political agenda to ban abortion in all cases. We won't let that happen."
The number of abortion providers in Ohio has been cut in half (opens in new tab) in the last four years, the second highest number of closures nationally behind Texas.
Follow Marie Claire on Instagram (opens in new tab) for the latest celeb news, pretty pics, funny stuff, and an insider POV.
Kate Storey is a contributing editor at Marie Claire and writer-at-large at Esquire magazine, where she covers culture and politics. Kate's writing has appeared in ELLE, Harper's BAZAAR, Town & Country, and Cosmopolitan, and her first book comes out in summer 2023.
-
James Middleton Reveals That Sister Kate Went to Therapy with Him
The third Middleton child, Pippa, also attended therapy to support her brother.
By Rachel Burchfield
-
Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis Are Banned from Doing This at Home
It’s a non-negotiable in the Wales’ house.
By Rachel Burchfield
-
Princess Diana’s Personal Letters to Friends During Her Divorce Are Being Auctioned for Charity
The 32-letter collection is both “astonishing” and “confidential.”
By Rachel Burchfield
-
35 Ways Women Still Aren't Equal to Men
If anyone tries to tell you otherwise, show them these statistics.
By Brooke Knappenberger
-
How New York's First Female Governor Plans to Fight for Women If Reelected
Kathy Hochul twice came to power because men resigned amid sexual harassment scandals. Here, how she's leading differently.
By Emily Tisch Sussman
-
Why the 2022 Midterm Elections Are So Critical
As we blaze through a highly charged midterm election season, Swing Left Executive Director Yasmin Radjy highlights rising stars who are fighting for women’s rights.
By Tanya Benedicto Klich
-
Tammy Duckworth: 'I’m Mad as Hell' About the Lack of Federal Action on Gun Safety
The Illinois Senator won't let the memory of the Highland Park shooting just fade away.
By Sen. Tammy Duckworth
-
Roe Is Gone. We Have to Keep Fighting.
Democracy always offers a path forward even when we feel thrust into the past.
By Beth Silvers and Sarah Stewart Holland, hosts of Pantsuit Politics Podcast
-
The Supreme Court's Mississippi Abortion Rights Case: What to Know
The case could threaten Roe v. Wade.
By Megan DiTrolio
-
Sex Trafficking Victims Are Being Punished. A New Law Could Change That.
Victims of sexual abuse are quietly criminalized. Sara's Law protects kids that fight back.
By Dr. Devin J. Buckley and Erin Regan
-
My Family and I Live in Navajo Nation. We Don't Have Access to Clean Running Water
"They say that the United States is one of the wealthiest countries in the world. Why are citizens still living with no access to clean water?"
By Amanda L. As Told To Rachel Epstein