Colorado Republicans Take Aim At Planned Parenthood

(Vic Vela/For CPR News)

Republicans in the state Legislature are working on ways to cut funding to Planned Parenthood in response to allegations the national group illegally profited from aborted fetal tissue.

Some Republican state lawmakers want to make it more difficult for Planned Parenthood to receive Medicaid reimbursements through the state. And they would give Colorado's Attorney General more autonomy to investigate alleged wrongdoing by the group.

"It may several steps before you get to actual changes," said state Sen. Kevin Lundberg, R-Berthoud. "But people have to know the facts first.”

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Planned Parenthood maintains its practices are misrepresented in sting videos and that it charged only to cover the cost to store and transport fetal tissue for research, something it is allowed to do under law. In October the organization announced that affiliates which provide tissue would stop accepting reimbursement.

Democratic Senate Minority Leader Lucia Guzman said her members will fight Republican efforts.

“We as a caucus stand firmly in support of Planned Parenthood," Guzman said. "We believe that Planned Parenthood and the work that they do sustains our families.”

Republican proposals are unlikely to pass the House, which is controlled by Democrats.