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Show Parental consent law jeopardized by ruling On Dec. 6, the Park City Community Clinic (PCCC) will once again be allowed to offer family planning services ser-vices to minors without parental consent. con-sent. Wednesday afternoon, U.S. District Court Judge David K. Winder granted Planned Parenthood of Utah and PCCC PC-CC a preliminary injunction (to be effective ef-fective in 20 days) which effectively released both organizations from complying with Utah Senate Bill 3 which made it illegal for them to serve ,;. minors without notifying their parents. Further, stay, , of Jhe, injunction,, requested by the Utah State Health Department and the federal Department Depart-ment of Human Health Services, was denied. Winder also forbade further distribution of Title 10 funds through the Utah State Health Department as long as the parental consent requirement is enforced. Though the ruling means that PC-CC's PC-CC's current funding will be cut off, PCCC Director Diana Maxell still sees it as a victory for family planning in Utah. "It is really good news. Even though we will lose our current funding I see it as a matter of principle. As a health care provider I feel awful when I have to turn people away. I know that there are kids out there who are not , being served and I feel terrible about it. The most Important thing is that we - be permitted to serve people regardless regar-dless of age," she said. In granting the injunction Winder af firmed that "irreparable harm" would be done to the youth of the state if they continued to be denied those health care services. Maxell is confident that federal funding fun-ding will be forthcoming when the federal government awards its Title 10 grants. PCCC could then receive its funding directly from the federal government or through a subcontract ; with Planned Parenthood. "Throughout this difficult time I would like to say that the Summit County Commissioners have been very supportive in helping to channel those state funds to us. Health Director Frank Singleton has been especially instrumental in keeping us going," said Maxell. |
