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DENVER, Colorado, January 5, 2015 (LifeSiteNews) – A federal appeals court has ruled that Utah taxpayers must fund Planned Parenthood until a ruling is given on the merits of its lawsuit against the state.

On December 22, Judge Clark Waddoups reversed his earlier injunction of Utah's effort to pull funding from America's largest abortion company. That injunction, which lasted through the end of 2015, was pulled by Waddoups “[a]fter due consideration of the parties' briefing, oral arguments, and evidence[.]” Waddoups wrote that “the court concludes Plaintiff has failed to meet its burden for a preliminary injunction.”

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Planned Parenthood's Utah arm immediately filed an emergency appeal with the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals, which on December 30 issued an injunction in favor of Planned Parenthood. According to court documents, the injunction was found to be “appropriate pending the court's determination of the merits.”

After the new injunction was granted, Karrie Galloway, CEO of the Planned Parenthood Association of Utah, said in a press release that her organization was “thrilled with today's decision, which will allow our trusted health care providers and educators to continue serving the thousands of Utahns who depend on us[.]”

A spokesperson for Governor Gary Herbert, meanwhile, said that “the governor is confident that once the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals has the opportunity to look closely at the legal issues in this case, like Judge [Clark] Waddoups, they will reach the same decision and agree that it is contrary to the public's best interest to remove the governor's discretion to make contract decisions on behalf of the state.”

Planned Parenthood receives approximately $275,000 in funds for abstinence and STD programs; unlike other states, none of its Utah funding comes from Medicaid.