Planned Parenthood announced Monday that it has sued Texas officials in federal court to preserve its state funding.
The lawsuit, filed in Austin, comes after the U.S. Supreme Court announced earlier this month that it will hear arguments over a 2013 law that abortion rights groups say would leave about 10 abortion clinics, down from more than 40, statewide, according to ABC News.
PP now seeks to hold onto Medicaid reimbursements at its Texas clinics, including those that don't perform abortions. State officials, following a decision made by Gov. Greg Abbott (R), moved to block funding after accusing the abortion provider of scheduling abortions in a manner that would best harvest fetal tissue for medical research.
The state levied the accusation by citing the series of undercover videos released by anti-abortion activists that show top Planned Parenthood employees discussing the illegal for-profit sale of fetal tissue.
"Today Planned Parenthood is taking Texas to court on behalf of the 13,500 patients who come to us for care through Medicaid," the group's president, Cecile Richards, announced on Twitter.
"By canceling Planned Parenthood's Medicaid contract politicians are telling women where they can and cannot go for reproductive health care," added Richards.
Abbott's move is expected to draw a legal challenge, similar to what has been seen in Louisiana, Alabama and Arkansas, reported The Hill. Such efforts have already resulted in one Louisiana federal judge ordering that the state must continue making Medicaid payments to PP for two more weeks as the case continues.
Supporters of PP argue that cutting the organization's Medicaid funding violates federal law stating that beneficiaries must be allowed to choose from any qualified health provider that is willing to serve them.
