Friday, February 19, 2016

Bevin administration seeks maximum fines against Planned Parenthood, alleging 23 abortions at Louisville facility were illegal

The administration of Gov. Matt Bevin has filed a lawsuit seeking fines against Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky, alleging that it performed 23 abortions without proper authorization in December and January.

PPINK says an official of the previous administration allowed it to start offering abortions as part of the licensing process, but the lawsuit by the Cabinet for Health and Family Services says any pre-license authorization was contrary to state law, and six abortions were performed before the supposed authorization was given on Dec. 7.

The suit also says the facility's patient-transfer agreements with other health-care facilities "were a complete sham" and didn't identify the hospital involved, and that PPINK was "attempting to accelerate the process" before Bevin took office Dec. 8.

The suit asks Jefferson Circuit Judge Mitch Perry to fine PPINK $684,000, based on state law allowing a fine of up to $10,000 for each violation and $1,000 a day for continuing violations. The suit was signed by Bevin's general counsel, Steve Pitt, as attorney for the cabinet.

PPINK said in a statement Thursday that it had complied with directions from the cabinet's Office of Inspector General. "We ask that the executive branch continue the licensure process rather than continue to make politically motivated accusations."

"Planned Parenthood said cabinet officials directed it to begin providing all its reproductive health services including abortions so the clinic could be inspected prior to final issuance of a license," Deborah Yetter reports for The Courier-Journal. "The inspection was not scheduled because it is supposed to be unannounced."

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