Planned Parenthood, Right to Life oppose Missouri tax bill

(AP) — Both Planned Parenthood and Missouri Right to Life oppose legislation to limit funding for family planning services and say it won’t have its intended effect. Both groups on Thursday spoke against the bills during a Senate committee hearing. At issue is a tax on hospitals, nursing homes, ambulances, and pharmacies used to draw down billions of dollars in federal Medicaid funding. Anti-abortion lawmakers are trying to use the tax to block state funding for Planned Parenthood. But Planned Parenthood says it already doesn’t get money from the state program cited in the legislation. Missouri Right to Life’s president says the proposal would be useless.