The moratorium took effect when President Donald Trump signed his so-called ‘big, beautiful bill’ into law Friday
Jake Goldstein-Street
Washington State Standard
SEATTLE — Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson vowed Wednesday to use state dollars to plug a hole Republicans left by barring Medicaid funding for Planned Parenthood services in their sweeping tax cut and spending bill.
“The one thing we have to do is make sure that individuals in our state have access to the critical, critical services provided by Planned Parenthood,” Ferguson said in a press conference outside one of the organization’s clinics in Seattle.
The moratorium took effect when President Donald Trump signed his so-called “big, beautiful bill” into law Friday. The provision lasts one year.
This week, a federal judge in Massachusetts temporarily directed the Trump administration to continue the flow of funding to Planned Parenthood, which on top of abortions provides access to birth control and screenings for cancer and sexually transmitted infections at health centers across the country.
Federal Medicaid funding can’t pay for abortions except in cases where the pregnancy endangers the mother or is the product of rape or incest.
The judicial order lasts two weeks. The case brought by Planned Parenthood will continue through the courts.
If the legal fight isn’t successful, Ferguson committed to backfilling the $11 million Planned Parenthood in Washington stands to lose. He said he would divert the money from the state Health Care Authority.
This comes not long after Ferguson signed a new budget from lawmakers that cut state funding for an abortion care program by more than half. Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates called that reduction “devastating.”
The group’s CEO, Jennifer Allen, said Wednesday that “this is not the moment when the federal government should be coming in and interfering with our state’s values and with our patients’ access to badly needed health care.”
“We are here for our patients,” she continued. “We are undaunted, but it does take money to provide care, and this is a hit on Planned Parenthood and on our state.”
Allen applauded Ferguson’s promise, and said many other states aren’t as fortunate.
In Washington, Planned Parenthood’s 30 health centers serve over 100,000 patients each year. Medicaid covers nearly half of them, according to the nonprofit. Planned Parenthood has previously closed clinics in Washington due to low Medicaid reimbursement rates.
This report was first published by The Washington State Standard.
Also read:
- WA Senate Republicans unable to stop income tax bill now headed to governor’s desk
Washington lawmakers narrowly approved a new income tax on households earning over $1 million, setting the stage for court battles and a statewide initiative campaign. - 17th District lawmakers Kevin Waters and David Stuebe decry passage of state income tax bill after marathon floor debate
Reps. Kevin Waters and David Stuebe condemn Senate Bill 6346, warning the new state income tax sends more money into the general fund without real reform, risks expanding to every family, and ignores Washington’s affordability crisis. - Opinion: Washington’s fight for liberty
Conservative columnist Nancy Churchill argues that despite the passage of a new 9.9% state income tax, signs of shifting political momentum in Washington state give reason for hope and continued action. - 18th District Reps. Stephanie McClintock and John Ley denounce passage of state income tax
Following a marathon 24-hour House floor debate, 18th District Reps. Stephanie McClintock and John Ley denounce Senate Bill 6346, a new 9.9% state income tax on household income above $1 million, warning it could expand broadly, harm Washington’s economy, and face serious constitutional challenges. - County pays $7.5 million to widow of VPD Officer Donald Sahota
Clark County has agreed to pay $7.5 million to the widow of Vancouver Police Officer Donald Sahota to resolve a negligence lawsuit following the 2022 incident where a sheriff’s deputy mistakenly shot the off-duty officer during a confrontation with a robbery suspect. - Opinion: Brandi Kruse and I are feeling discouraged but we’re planning to continue advocating for political change. Will you?
Clark County Today Editor Ken Vance reflects on a discouraging week in Washington state politics, echoing Brandi Kruse’s frustrations over Democrats’ state income tax victory and local decisions on transit and ICE while urging conservatives not to give up on advocating for political change. - OII passes 60-day point in Vancouver Police Department use of deadly force investigation
The Washington State Office of Independent Investigations is just past 60 days into its investigation of a Vancouver Police Department use of deadly force involving officers Sean Donaldson and Christopher Holmquist and the death of 44-year-old Perry J. Sellars after a late-night disturbance call on NE 46th Street.
wpDiscuz
