The Florida Agency for Health Care Administration has dropped charges against Planned Parenthood.
The move comes days after Governor Scott signed a bill into law that changes state regulations for abortion clinics. The Florida Agency for Health Care Administration says the signing of the bill rendered the lawsuit moot. Planned Parenthood’s attorney Julie Gallagher disagrees.
“Because if AHCA comes in and sees the same thing in our records, they’re still gonna draw the same conclusion that they drew, without any more medical information than they had before, and they could still make the same wrong accusations. So that’s just absolutely not true. That’s their way of trying to save face, I think.”
Gallagher says the move proves the state health agency didn’t have a case.
“But for right now, when you voluntarily dismiss your case, and open yourselves up to an award of attorney’s fees, you’re pretty much acknowledging you’ve got nothing,” Gallagher says.
AHCA filed the suit last August arguing three Planned Parenthood clinics performed abortions outside state regulations. The fight centered on dueling state definitions of a trimester. The new law creates only one. Those same three clinics would still be in violation under Florida’s new definition. Gallagher says the lawsuit cost Planned Parenthood tens of thousands of dollars in legal fees.