In a late-night vote on Monday, North Carolina’s General Assembly overrode Gov. Bev Purdue’s veto of a state budget, effectively draining around $200,000 from the state’s two remaining Planned Parenthood affiliates.
The legislature’s decision marks the end of North Carolina lawmakers’ efforts to defund the health service provider. Judge James Beaty Jr. blocked last year’s measure, stating that the state couldn’t target a specific healthcare provider.
The General Assembly managed to dodge the judge’s ruling this time around by avoiding any explicit mention of Planned Parenthood. They instead passed a bill preventing the state’s Health and Human Services department from forming contracts with “private providers” of family planning services.
This effectively blocks Planned Parenthood from receiving any funding from the state. Funds will instead be redirected to county health departments.
As Planned Parenthood doesn’t use state money for many of their services, their clinics’ abortion, birth control, cancer screening and pap smear tests will be affected. Critics are also increasingly worried about how badly low-income women will be hit.
“If we aren’t able to figure something out and replace this funding, this will affect the price and availability of services and prescription drugs for patients,” said Paige Johnson, a Planned Parenthood spokeswoman. “We won’t be able to provide the walk-in care we currently provide.” Â