New Orleans, La., Oct 27, 2012 / 16:44 pm
A federal appeals court has declined a rehearing for Planned Parenthood, which was trying to block Texas' effort to defund its clinics in the state.
"Today's ruling affirms yet again that in Texas the Women's Health Program has no obligation to fund Planned Parenthood and other organizations that perform or promote abortion," Texas governor Rick Perry said in a statement Oct. 25.
"In Texas we choose life, and we will immediately begin defunding all abortion affiliates to honor and uphold that choice."
In March, Texas indicated it would forgo federal funding for its Women's Health Program and established a rule that barred clinics which perform elective abortions, or affiliates of those that do, from participating in the program.