Alabama became the third state in a week to pull state funding for Planned Parenthood on Thursday.
Gov. Robert Bentley, a medical doctor, tweeted that life from “conception to birth and beyond” is important to him.
“I respect human life, and I do not want Alabama to be associated with an organization that does not,” the two-term Republican tweeted.
The governor’s office released a statement saying that the Alabama Medicaid Agency will terminate its provider contract with Planned Parenthood with a 15-day notice. If Planned Parenthood opposes the decision, the nonprofit has 60 days to apply for a fair hearing.
“The deplorable practices at Planned Parenthood have been exposed to Americans. I’ve terminated any association with the organization in AL,” Bentley said in a follow-up tweet.
Bentley’s announcement comes after Louisiana and New Hampshire ended relationships with the controversial women’s health organization this week in the wake of several sting videos that an anti-abortion group claims show Planned Parenthood officials discussing the sale of fetal tissue.
Staci Fox, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Southeast, said Bentley’s announcement will deprive thousands of low-income ad uninsured men and women of needed services.
“The courts have been clear that the federal law prohibits states from excluding abortion providers from Medicaid,” she said. “Planned Parenthood’s doors remain open and we will continue to provide high-quality, compassionate care to the women and men who rely on us.”
The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals pulled Medicaid funding from the organization.
“Planned Parenthood does not represent the values of the people of Louisiana and shows a fundamental disrespect for human life. It has become clear that this is not an organization that is worthy of receiving public assistance from the state,” said Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, a Republican presidential candidate.
And New Hampshire’s Republican-led Executive Council decided to end contracts with Planned Parenthood earlier this month when the state denied $639,000 in state funding to the organization.
“To say there is a direct correlation between the number of dollars and number of people served is disingenuous,” said Executive Councilor, Chris Sununu, according to the New Hampshire Union Leader. “The organization has done good work, but I have serious questions about it, especially at the national level.”
Republican presidential candidates, lawmakers and several governors have called for investigations into Planned Parenthood following the release of five undercover videos by anti-abortion group The Center for Medical Progress that accuse the group of illegally selling organs and tissue from aborted fetuses.
Planned Parenthood officials deny breaking any laws and accuse the group of heavily editing the videos. David Daleiden, head of The Center for Medical Progress, has released several videos that he says are unedited and plans to release more.
