Planned Parenthood facilities in Missouri will continue to get tax dollars despite a the legislature’s attempt to strip government funding from them.
Missouri Governor Jay Nixon (photo, Mike Lear, Missourinet)
Governor Jay Nixon (D) said Thursday the legislature’s action to keep Medicaid dollars from going to Planned Parenthood won’t take effect with the start of the new state budget Friday, though he said that plan will eventually be implemented.
Nixon said the state must seek public comment and get a waiver from the federal government to change its women’s health program. That could take until next year and no changes in funding will happen before that.
Republican budget leaders rejected 8.3-million federal Medicaid dollars, part of which must by federal law go to Planned Parenthood. That allowed them to not send 380-thousand tax dollars to the 13 Planned Parenthood clinics in Missouri. Nixon signed that budget plan into law.