Connecticut Attorney General William Tong says he’s taking legal action to preserve federal family planning funding for organizations like Planned Parenthood.
The state joins Oregon and Washington in plans to block a Trump administration mandate that stops the funds from going to health care groups that offer abortion referrals.
“They’re seeking to dismantle a system of reproductive healthcare and impose a political ideology on the rest of the country that’s not mandated by law, and in fact it’s illegal,” Tong said.
Under the rule, providers will still be able to perform abortions – but only in separate facilities and they would not be allowed to refer patients there.
About 40,000 patients in Connecticut rely on the funds for access to services such as cancer screenings, testing and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases, and birth control. Planned Parenthood of Southern New England says the funding makes up about 7 percent of its budget.
