Planned Parenthood of Southwest Ohio is filing suit against the state Department of Health. The agency argues if House Bill 64, the recently passed state budget, takes effect at the end of the month, its two remaining clinics that perform abortions will have to shut down.Attorney Jennifer Branch says the bill would require the Health Department to suspend the clinics' licenses automatically "if they cannot get a written transfer agreement with a local hospital or a variance from the director of the Department of Health. And it's that automatic suspension of their licenses that will close them down and put them out of business without any due process."
Branch says the Cincinnati clinic had a variance but it expired earlier this year and the Health Department hasn't acted on a renewal request. She says it also used to have a transfer agreement with UC Medical Center but part of the 2013 budget bill forced UCMC to end the agreement.
UC Health and UC Medical Center are also named in the suit.
WVXU has requested comment from the Ohio Department of Health but hasn't yet heard back.
Branch says she's hoping a hearing will be scheduled before House Bill 64 takes effect Sept. 29.
