Texas officials take their war on women's health care to new lows.
Yesterday, Texas officials raided three Planned Parenthood offices in Dallas, Houston and San Antonio. They demanded thousands of documents,
including the names and home addresses of employees. Turns out, they also
sought patient records:
Investigators with the department are seeking to obtain information from clinics in San Antonio, Houston, and Dallas including patient records as well as billing and personnel information related to the donations, according to Planned Parenthood.
Ken Lambrecht, the CEO of Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas, said the move was "unprecedented."
"We will make every effort to comply with the state's request but see this is an excuse to take healthcare away from thousands of women and men who rely on Planned Parenthood for preventive care," Lambrecht said in a statement. "We comply with all state laws and regulations. Protecting the confidentiality of our patients and employees is paramount. We will do everything we can to ensure their confidentiality as we cooperate with the state's request."
Earlier in the week, Texas
moved to defund Planned Parenthood through the state’s Medicaid program—a move that will surely be challenged in court.
If you weren't outraged by the nationwide attacks on Planned Parenthood before, you ought to be now. Planned Parenthood patients who've done nothing wrong have a right to privacy. It's time to stand up for the #1 women's health care provider in the United States and stop this full scale assault on the rights of women in Texas and beyond.