Alabama defunds Planned Parenthood

“Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton announced separate investigations into Planned Parenthood last week following the release of the first videos”, KHOU reports.

Mark Harrington of Created Equal noted, “Each community with a Planned Parenthood abortion clinic or satellite clinic needs to take action against the killing of babies and the trafficking of their aborted baby parts”.

Many point to the long-standing ban on federal funding for abortions to back up their argument that public money for Planned Parenthood goes toward services like birth control and testing for sexually transmitted diseases.

Anti-abortion zealots have recently ramped up their toxic campaigning against Planned Parenthood, the non-profit women’s health provider that, along with contraception, breast screening and treatment of STIs, offers terminations as part of its care.

The governor’s office released a statement from the governor.

“I’m a Catholic, I believe life begins at conception”.

August 6, 2015I respect human life, and I do not want Alabama to be associated with an organization that does not.

“Senator Harry Reid outrageously declared yesterday that Republicans had “lost their moral compass” after they were unable to get the 60 votes needed to move the bill in Congress forward that would defund Planned Parenthood”, wrote Graham.

Newman’s comments came just two days after the anti-abortion group released a fifth secretly recorded video they claim shows the director of
research for Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast, Melissa Farrell, meeting with actors posing as representatives from a fetal tissue procurement company to discuss a partnership to harvest fetal organs.

The bill would make it a Class B Felony, punishable by 2 to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $30,000, to buy or sell aborted fetuses or fetal parts.

I’m also reluctant to make common cause with pro-life activists who are on a mission from God to overturn Roe vs Wade by any means necessary.

Sen. John McCain, a former Republican presidential candidate, said he favors attaching a spending rider that would eliminate Planned Parenthood’s annual government funding to must-pass spending legislation known as a continuing resolution (CR) this fall.

Planned Parenthood has called the inquiry politically motivated. “Because of our health centers, low-income, uninsured women and families were able to access high-quality affordable health care through the safety net provided by Medicaid funding”.

“The courts have been clear that the federal law prohibits states from excluding abortion providers from Medicaid”, she said. Updated at 4:49 p.m.to add information from state Medicaid Agency on services paid at Planned Parenthood clinics. Updated at 4:41 p.m.to change headline from “terminates” agreement to “seeks to end” agreement.