Supreme Court Denies Oklahoma Abortion Fund Appeal

The Supreme Court has denied Oklahoma's request to halt the withholding of $4.5 million in federal family planning funds due to the state's refusal to provide abortion counseling and referrals. This decision supports a Biden administration rule requiring Title X grant recipients to offer neutral, factual information about abortion among other options. Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, and Neil Gorsuch dissented, preferring to grant the request. Oklahoma argued that its strict anti-abortion laws, enacted post-Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, should exempt it from this federal requirement. The ruling aligns with lower court decisions that had also ruled against Oklahoma, emphasizing the federal government's stance on maintaining comprehensive reproductive health services.