FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 10, 2018
McMaster Order Blocking Care to Poor South Carolinians Costing Taxpayers Thousands of Dollars in Legal Fees
Governor Shoving Cost of Political Stunt onto Hard-Working Families
Columbia, S.C. – New reporting today found state taxpayers have already paid $17,510 in legal fees – and the bills will keep mounting. In July, Governor Henry McMaster tried to cut off funding for Planned Parenthood’s family planning services. This money is used to cover things like pelvic exams, mammograms, prenatal care, STD testing, and other health care services for the state’s poorest women and men. None of this money directly or indirectly funds abortion, like U.S. District Judge Mary Geiger said when she handed down an injunction against McMaster’s order. The Governor is continuing this reckless effort for political gain – at the expense of taxpayers.
How “fiscally conservative” of him.
According to the Charleston Post & Courier, the state’s legal fees already equal 21% to 54% of the money McMaster wants to withhold from Planned Parenthood. His politically-motivated litigation could end up costing hard-working taxpayers in our state more than what Planned Parenthood would collect in Medicaid reimbursements. If the Governor loses, the state could also be forced to cover Planned Parenthood’s legal costs.
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