In a Jan. 12 State of the State address, Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback (R) said the state will prevent Planned Parenthood from receiving funds through Medicaid, according to ABC News.
In his speech, Gov. Brownback "encouraged state legislators to enshrine such a policy into law," according to the report.
Elise Higgins, a lobbyist for Planned Parenthood of Kansas and mid-Missouri, said the organization will not back down. "I am disappointed on behalf of the women who rely on us for healthcare that the governor has chosen to make them his political scapegoat," she said. "We intend to fight this."
During his speech, Gov. Brownback criticized President Barack Obama's decisions on national security issues, as well as his 2010 enactment of the Affordable Care Act, claiming it is currently "failing."
Kansas Democratic leaders were not pleased with Gov. Brownback's speech. "That is a classless performance," said Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley (D). Representative Tom Sawyer (D) called it a "waste of time."