County attorneys sue to keep money flowing to stop teen pregnancies

Civil Division Managing Attorney Dan Rogan, fresh off his U.S. Supreme Court argument in February, flew back to Washington D.C. again May 21 to argue for the continuation of a federal grant to prevent teenage pregnancies.

Rogan and Assistant Hennepin County Attorney Becca Holschuh were part of a status conference before U.S. District Court Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, along with three other plaintiffs, arguing that the federal government had arbitrarily and illegally cut off grants to states and organizations working to prevent teenage pregnancies.

One of the arguments raised by the U.S. Department of Justice lawyers was that Hennepin County had waited too long to sue the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. However, Rogan pointed out that the department only cut the funding last summer and Hennepin County first used the department’s appeals process and worked through Minnesota’s congressional delegation before determining there was no other choice but to file suit.

The judge ultimately put Hennepin County’s lawsuit on hold, but added the county to a class action with 80 others who have objected to the loss of funds. She also ordered Health and Human Services to process the grants, including Hennepin County’s.

Read the Star Tribune's report.