Tennessee Lieutenant Governor Ron Ramsey announced late this afternoon that Davidson and Shelby Counties would end their contract to allow Planned Parenthood, the nation's largest abortion provider, to provide "family planning services" on behalf of those two counties. Ramsey congratulated Governor Bill Haslam for asking the State Health Department to pressure the State's two largest counties to end their contracts with Planned Parenthood.

It was announced today that Davidson County is ending its contract with the organization and assuming control of all family planning services. Shelby County is also expected to begin the process of transitioning away from its Planned Parenthood contract.

“We are at long last moving towards the final stages of the Planned Parenthood shell game,” said Lt. Gov. Ramsey. “It has always been the ambition of Republicans in the legislature to defund this organization. I was proud to lead the charge to turn over family planning services to the county health departments effectively defunding the organization in 93 out of 95 counties. I’d like to praise the Governor for working to completely turn off the spigot of taxpayer funds to Planned Parenthood.”

In 93 of 95 counties, family planning services are already solely the responsibility of the county health departments, but Davidson and Shelby Counties had contracts with Planned Parenthood, which has received State funding as a result of those contracts. The Governor's latest directive, which will be carried out under the supervision of Tennessee Commissioner of Health Susan Cooper, is but the latest salvo in a political saga that began two weeks ago, when it was discovered that the wording of an amendment to the State budget was superceded without the knowledge of the General Assembly. The original amendment would have effectively ended Planned Parenthood funding this year, and was authored by Senator Stacey Campfield (R-Knoxville).