Governor John Kasich has for weeks been out of state on his presidential campaign, but was back in Columbus over the weekend to sign a controversial bill to cut state funding for Planned Parenthood.
Though there were calls for him to veto it, it was no secret Kasich would sign the measure stripping $1.3 million from Planned Parenthood, which he did in private.
The bill had Republican support but also a Democratic sponsor in Rep. Bill Patmon of Cleveland. It moves mostly federal money sent to Ohio for HIV testing, cancer screenings and educational programs to community health centers, and bans those funds from going to organizations that provide abortions.
Democrats blasted the completely expected action, and Planned Parenthood Advocates of Ohio put out a statement that said “tens of thousands of Ohioans were betrayed by their government” and that Kasich should be ashamed for claiming he’s helping fight infant mortality while defunding programs for young mothers and children.
