Tennessee attorney general sues federal government over abortion rule blocking funding

By KIMBERLEE KRUESI
Associated Press

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee’s top legal chief says the federal government is wrongly withholding millions of dollars in family planning funds after the state refused to comply with federal rules requiring clinics to provide abortion referrals due to its current ban on the procedure. Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti filed a complaint in U.S. District Court in Knoxville earlier this week seeking to overturn the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services decision. An HHS spokesperson did not immediately return an emailed request for comment. Skrmetti’s office is asking a federal judge to reinstate Tennessee’s Title X money and to rule that HHS can’t withhold funds based on a state’s abortion ban.