This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Utah will continue passing federal money on to Planned Parenthood — at least until the end of the year.
The state is restoring all-but-severed contracts with the Utah branch as a lawsuit over funding continues, state Department of Health spokesman Tom Hudachko said Friday.
The Planned Parenthood Association of Utah sued Utah Gov. Gary Herbert on Monday in response to his order for state agencies to effectively drop certain contracts with Planned Parenthood and leave others to expire.
His plan to cut off federal funding to the group followed the release of videos secretly recorded by an anti-abortion group. The footage showed Planned Parenthood officials in other states discussing fetal tissue used for research.
On Tuesday, a judge blocked the governor's order until mid-October.
Health officials are heeding the court's order, Hudachko said, and extending it through the end of 2015.
"It just provides us with a little bit more breathing room," Hudachko said, allowing the programs to operate as attorneys debate.
The money will extend funding for comprehensive sex-education after-school programs, abstinence education in schools, and a database monitoring STDs.
Karrie Galloway, CEO of Planned Parenthood Association of Utah, said in a statement her organization is "pleased that we will continue to receive funding" as the court case progresses.
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