Does Planned Parenthood Make Money Off Baby Parts

The Planned Parenthood undercover videos helped intensify calls around the land for states to cut the arrangement's funding. Olivier Douliery/Getty Images hibernate caption

toggle caption

Olivier Douliery/Getty Images

The Planned Parenthood undercover videos helped intensify calls around the state for states to cut the organization's funding.

Olivier Douliery/Getty Images

Once once again this calendar week, an investigation into Planned Parenthood's alleged sale of fetal tissue came up empty.

A thou jury in Harris County, Texas, voted to indict in a land investigation of Planned Parenthood. Merely it didn't indict the reproductive rights organization. In an unexpected turn, the grand jury indicted two anti-abortion activists from the Center for Medical Progress. That is the organization that famously terminal yr released videos that information technology said depicted Planned Parenthood illegally trying to sell fetal body parts.

The videos served as a major rallying betoken for Americans opposed to abortion. They fueled a threat to close down the authorities too as a button in several states to cut funding to Planned Parenthood.

They also inspired a wave of investigations. After the videos' release last summertime, a number of states apace decided to wait into whether the tissue auction the videos purported to show was happening within their borders.

Despite all the worry, country investigations have all the same to detect any prove that Planned Parenthood was selling or profiting off fetal tissue. Twelve states accept completed investigations into Planned Parenthood following the videos' release, according to the system.

Here's what happened in each of those cases:

Florida

In July 2015, Florida Republican Gov. Rick Scott ordered a country investigation to come across whether Planned Parenthood was "selling body parts," Politico Florida reported at the time. On Aug. 5, the agency investigating the clinics released its findings, maxim that none of the state's Planned Parenthood sites had been selling tissue or torso parts. Nevertheless, the investigation did find that one dispensary out of Florida's xvi wasn't correctly keeping its records of fetal remains. In addition, three were institute to have been performing 2d-trimester abortions while merely being licensed to perform abortions in the kickoff trimester, according to Politico. Planned Parenthood disputed this, arguing that the country had changed the rules on how it measured the first trimester, every bit Reuters reported. Though it briefly looked similar the state and Planned Parenthood agreed on the issue, Politician reported, the arrangement was fined in September 2015.

Georgia

Republican Gov. Nathan Bargain on July 16, 2015, asked the state'south Departments of Community Wellness and Public Health to investigate whether Planned Parenthood was engaging in the "horrific practice" that the CMP's videos claimed to depict. On Aug. 13, the Department of Public Wellness reported that all 5 of the clinics had "proper procedures in place for burial or internment of [fetal] remains," as NPR member station WABE reported.

Indiana

In July 2015, Republican Gov. Mike Pence asked the state Department of Health to investigate the state's Planned Parenthood clinics, to see whether they were engaging in any sale of fetal tissue, local Television receiver station WTHR reported. Weeks later, the section said it had "ended there was no bear witness of this type of activity" at three Planned Parenthood facilities in the country, as the Indianapolis Star reported.

Kansas

On July 21, 2015, Republican Gov. Sam Brownback asked his state'southward Board of Healing Arts "to address the issue of auction of tissue and organs from the unborn" at Planned Parenthood facilities, the Topeka Capital-Journal reported. This calendar month, the board said information technology had "adamant no further action would exist taken at this time," per the Associated Press.

Massachusetts

On July 17, 2015, Republican state Rep. James Lyons sent a letter to Democratic country Chaser General Maura Healey, asking her to launch an investigation into whether Planned Parenthood was participating in fetal tissue sales like those the CMP video purported to show, equally the Boston Herald reported. On July 29, Healey responded in a statement that the state's Planned Parenthood sites were "fully compliant with state and federal laws regarding the disposition of fetal tissue" and were not participating in any fetal tissue donation, though it is legal in that land, equally the Boston Earth reported.

Michigan

On July 16, 2015, Republican state Sen. Phil Pavlov asked the state to investigate "to determine whether or not any Michigan-based facilities accept participated in the horrifying sale of babies' torso parts," MLive reported. In October, the ii departments handling the investigations issued a statement, saying that "in that location is no evidence to date that illegal practices are occurring," MLive reported.

Missouri

On July 21, 2015, Democratic Attorney General Chris Koster started an investigation, proverb that "the questions raised by [CMP's] videos crave conscientious review," local TV station KMBC reported. In September, a release from Koster'due south function said the investigation turned upwardly no "irregularities involving the transmission, examination, or disposal of the fetal organs and tissue" from abortions at the state'south one clinic that performed surgical abortions, every bit the New York Times reported.

Nevada

In September 2015, Nevada Republican Attorney General Adam Laxalt sent a letter to Nevada Planned Parenthood facilities. Mentioning the videos, the letter asked the sites about their abortion procedures and also asked if they donate fetal tissue, equally the AP reported. In December 2015, his office closed the investigation, saying that the facilities weren't performing surgical abortions and that there also wasn't evidence of tissue donation, according to the AP.

Ohio

In mid-July 2015, Ohio Republican Attorney General Mike DeWine appear that he was launching an investigation into whether any Planned Parenthood clinics in the country were selling fetal parts, according to Cleveland.com. In December, the country released the investigation, revealing that there was no testify of any such sales. However, investigators did find that fetal remains were disposed of via incinerators or landfills, which, while not illegal, DeWine claimed "violate[d] Ohio administrative code," as Cleveland.com reported. (An Ohio Planned Parenthood official disputed his claim.)

Pennsylvania

In July, two Republican state legislators asked the state chaser general to investigate whether Planned Parenthood in Pennsylvania was selling fetal tissue, Philly.com reported. In August, state Wellness Secretary Karen Irish potato responded in a letter that at that place was no evidence that any Pennsylvania facilities were buying, selling or donating fetal tissue, every bit The Hill reports.

South Dakota

In July 2015, Republican state Attorney General Marty Jackley instructed the country Health Department to investigate whether fetal tissue sales were occurring at Planned Parenthood, the AP reported. On Aug. xi, 2015, Jackley told the Associated Press that "in that location are no reports, complaints or inspection records that would demonstrate any evidence (of) illegal activity in South Dakota at this time."

Washington

In tardily July 2015, 34 Republican lawmakers wrote a letter request Democratic Attorney General Bob Ferguson to investigate whether the state'south Planned Parenthood clinics were selling fetal parts, the Seattle Times reported. In November, Ferguson reported that the state had plant no evidence that the state's affiliates were selling fetal tissue. Washington is home to one of only two clinics (the other being in California) that Planned Parenthood says currently donate any fetal tissue to researchers.

In improver, eight states (California, Colorado, Delaware, Idaho, Iowa, Minnesota, New Hampshire, and Virginia) decided not to pursue investigations into the videos' allegations.

Investigations All the same Ongoing

Not that the investigations are over — Arizona and Louisiana, for case, yet have investigations in progress, according to Planned Parenthood. And in Texas, Abbott likewise said subsequently this calendar week'south indictment that a state investigation into Planned Parenthood will go along.

"The Health and Human Service Commission's inspector general and the attorney general's function have an ongoing investigation into Planned Parenthood's deportment," Abbott said. "Nothing about today's announcement in Harris County impacts the state's ongoing investigation."

In add-on, the Ohio Senate this week voted to cake authorities funding to Planned Parenthood. CMP's videos factored heavily into the debate over that bill, which will go to Republican Gov. John Kasich, who is firmly anti-abortion and is expected to sign information technology.

Jennifer Ludden contributed to this report.

Source: https://www.npr.org/2016/01/28/464594826/in-wake-of-videos-planned-parenthood-investigations-find-no-fetal-tissue-sales

Posted by: connersooking.blogspot.com