Gov. Bobby Jindal (R-LA) must be trying a last-ditch stunt to move the polls enough to make the cutoff to be on the big boy stage in Thursday's presidential primary debate. He was the
first governor, and candidate out of the gate to demand an investigation of Planned Parenthood, and in fact started on in his state. Now, despite the fact that there wasn't anything for his investigators to investigate because no Planned Parenthood office in Louisiana even does abortions right now, Jindal has decided to
cut off Medicaid funding to the organization.
“In recent weeks, it has been shocking to see reports of the alleged activities taking place at Planned Parenthood facilities across the country. Planned Parenthood does not represent the values of the people of Louisiana and shows a fundamental disrespect for human life," Jindal said in a statement. "It has become clear that this is not an organization that is worthy of receiving public assistance from the state."
The move comes despite the fact that the two Planned Parenthood clinics in Louisiana do not provide abortion, which Planned Parenthood confirmed to the state's Department of Health and Hospitals as part of the state's ongoing investigation into claims that the organization is profiting off of aborted fetal tissue donations. A third clinic being built in New Orleans plans to offer abortion, but will not participate in the tissue donation programs, a Planned Parenthood executive told the state.
Jindal, apart from being an opportunistic ass who just took cancer screenings, physical exams, and birth control and numerous other healthcare services away from countless low-income women, has also just opened himself up to a lawsuit. Built into the Medicaid law is the patient's right to choose her provider. When states previously attempted to cut Planned Parenthood out of Medicaid,
the courts stopped them, including in Tennessee, Indiana, Arizona and North Carolina.
Providers can be barred from taking Medicaid patients if they've committed fraud or some other violation of Medicaid or of licensing laws. Now, maybe Jindal can try to cook up some case against Planned Parenthood on those grounds, because he sure doesn't have it on the ones he's claiming. Because, again, neither of the two existing Planned Parenthood clinics in his state even do abortions.