(CNN) - Republican Indiana governor and potential 2012 presidential candidate Mitch Daniels signed a bill Tuesday that will cut off significant amounts of federal funds given to his state’s chapter of Planned Parenthood, a move the group fought by filing for a temporary restraining order and injunction with the U.S. District Court in Indianapolis.
The bill, which passed both houses of the state legislature by large margins, imposes some of the nation’s toughest restrictions on abortions, cutting off about $3 million in public funds received for female preventive health services, including birth control, breast and cervical cancer screenings and other tests in the Hoosier state.
Although federal law prevents government funds being used for abortion services, proponents of the bill have said they do not want federal money funneled to an organization that performs abortions.
Planned Parenthood has said the bill, which takes effect immediately, is dangerous and would have a “devastating impact on women’s health” in Indiana, according to Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America.
In a release and subsequent media availability Tuesday, Planned Parenthood announced a joint filing with the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana to prevent the bill from taking effect.
The release said PPIN (Planned Parenthood of Indiana) “believes the law is unconstitutional and violates federal law.”
Kenneth Falk, the legal director for the ACLU of Indiana, said the court heard arguments in the case Tuesday and will announce its decision in open court Wednesday.
– CNN’s Kevin Bohn and Gabriella Schwarz contributed to this report
From CNN Politics
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If Indiana women get sick The Governor wants them to die quickly. Forgot screening, just wait until the cancer of the breast or cervix is obvious. Perhaps some of them will simultaneously be pregnant along with their cancer diagnoses.Then die, silly woman. Meanwhile the old farts can still get their Viagra.
"Although federal law prevents government funds being used for abortion services, proponents of the bill have said they do not want federal money funneled to an organization that performs abortions."
And there is the hook. Basically, typical Republican control freaks. They don't care that federal money is already NOT being used for abortions, they pretty much just want to tell other people what to do.
It is unbelievable that leaders want to cut funding for any form of public health. Please, for once, consider the health of ALL of your constituents, instead of your own bias and prejudice. I am fine with my money going to make sure the poor are screened for diseases. Please, act like a leader for everybody.
Are you also able to limit funding to things that I am not in favor of? I have my own list.
lol this guy thinks he can become president by cutting out a lot of his voter base....women? Come on. What's he going to vote on next? Requirements that women must stay indoors at all times?
Geez.. We're republicans and we can't see through the forest for the trees.. We can't see wasting money on planned parenthood, so what we need are more welfare babies to take care of for the rest of their pitiful lives.. These morons need better calculators really !
You' er right, the money could be be better spent on the war machine.
Cutting both women's health services and education demonstrates an amazing lack of vision and forward thinking.
Yess!!! He has my vote!!!
So... it's not enough to ban money funding them - the GOP wants to destroy any organization that performs them. This is not about abortion - it's about the GOP's dislike for organizations which do not promote their agenda. NPR, Planned Parenthood - what successful non-conservative organization do they want to destroy next? Probably one with early childhood education for at-risk children...
Everything the Republicans do is either to advance their own agenda or tear down anything that doesn't fit with it.
Idiots. She has poor health insurance and needs a test. Nope...
We will all pay for her when the problem gets really bad.
Being female is high maintenance, problems are internal not external, therefore not easy to see.
The conservatives are getting downright ridiculous with all of this all-or-nothing legislation. Indiana will no longer be funding an organization that supports women's reproductive health, because just one of the services they provide is abortion. They are just chipping away at Roe v. Wade, and they are doing it in the most insensitive fashion.
You could almost call this a hate-crime against women. Nice going, Mitch. Very forward-looking.
I don't see what the uproar is about. If the country is split 50-50 on the abortion issue, public money shouldn't go to either side. The same people having a fit over this would be having a fit if money was going to an organization that taught abstinence and used the money for pro-life things. If they want to receive the funds, stop performing the abortions and leave it up to unfunded clinics. The truth is they care less about cancer screenings and all those other services PP is quick to whine about than they do abortion.
Planned Parenthood doesn't perform abortions, at lease not in an state I have ever lived in. They provide counseling and testing. Did anybody in government look into this before making this move?
About time. People need to be held accountable for their actions or this world will never change for the good. I live in Indiana and work at a hospital, so I know first hand what will happen if you keep giving handouts to these people that don't want to work and know that they will always have a fall back. I'm always amazed at how many people are unemployed by choice and live off medicaid and food stamps. Take away all these programs and give it five years and people will be held accountable for their laziness. If they want to sit at home all day while eating five pounds of food and chain smoking then let them suffer their consequences, don't bail them out and give them free health care that we have to pay for. This is a step forward in the right direction. I see all day the effects of these programs. Its sadly rare for me to see someone that that is on disability or food stamps that doesn't want to be. The government doesn't need to be funding our people to have safe sex and healthcare. The system has been abused to the point of no return. No amount of education can turn this around. The system just has to be terminated.
Clearly, Indiana politicians and the Religious Right care more about their own agenda than women's health. Disgusting. I was scheduled to go to a conference in Indianapolis in June. I'm canceling. I have no interest in giving such a repulsively-operated state any business whatsoever.
planned parenthood doesnt screen for cancer, look into it, most will say Oh we dont do that, just like ACORN, all bull with no substance
Now I hope he runs, so I can vote against him for this reason alone. Why is it men always lead the charge against abortion? Only after a man adopts, raises, and puts through college an unwanted child can he assert such a moral claim. Ah, men.
Well, if he does run for President, that decision won't help with support from the women of Indiana! Jerk...
So they're going to steal money from the poor? Sounds like the typical Republican plan to balance the budget.
That is good that Mitch Daniels did that. Planned Parenthood should have all government monies cut off completely. This is a very good start. They are filled with corruption and waste and they are undermining our society and economy with their practices.
It looks like Jobs, Jobs,Jobs, turned into destroying Planned parenthood, busting unions, and surpressing voters with voter ID.
Another republican pandering to so called social conservatives.
These are the people that want government out of their personal lives, but have no problem dictating to women about how to conduct their reproductive health. I guess the word hypocrite is only used in the dark corners of the GOP. The American Taliban GOP.
That's a Conservative for you. Cut funding for birth control for poor women. Cut funding for child health care. Give a tax break to the wealthy.