Debate Today To Fund Planned Parenthood
Legislative ACTION ALERT--The Human Services Budget Bill--SF 2425--Debate Today
Iowa Right to Life Committee
Legislative Alert
Release: Immediate
DES MOINES--April 17, 2008--The budget bill has finally appeared and the new line item for Family Planning is included in Section 29 for $750,000.00.
HOWEVER, we have noticed that the budget also includes more Family Planning out of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program listed under "pregnancy prevention" in the amount of $1,930,067.00. This "pregnancy prevention" has the condition that the funds may only be used for Family Planning, i.e. abortion groups.
1) This additional funding is a MISPLACED PRIORITY--there is only so much in the state budget and legislators should be encouraged to focus our limited funds on education, fixing our roads and highways. The fact is, the teen pregnancy rate in Iowa is one of the lowest in the nation.
2) Conflict of Interest: Planned Parenthood is lobbying for money, while they also endorse candidates and help them win elections. The grants they receive from the state fund staff, phones, pay rent and purchase office supplies. Governor Culver, who was endorsed by Planned Parenthood, is responsible for placing this new Family Planning Fund in the budget.
Here is a letter sent today from a young woman who went to Planned Parenthood for help:
Dear Kim,
These ads are truly upsetting to me. I'm embarrassed to even admit I've ever been to the place but maybe my experience can help you in some way. This is an interaction I had at a Planned Parenthood on/near the MLK 19th street area in August of 2004.
When I was scared and pregnant and didn't know any better I went to Planned Parenthood for a pregnancy test to confirm the two I had already taken. My interaction was - It's positive, you're pregnant. Do you want to keep it? I looked at her and said yes - she said, Ok, you are free to leave. I received, no real help, No how far along are you. No prenatal advice. No direction on what to do next. I guess if you know you are keeping your baby they do not want you there and will not offer support to you in anyway aside from a pregnancy test
I am sickened to think I'm one of the statistics they are using in their ads about the number of unplanned pregnancies in Iowa. My pregnancy may have been unplanned and I may have been scared but my daughter was not unwanted. I was single (although engaged) and without health insurance at the start of my pregnancy. Aside from my trip to Planned Parenthood my pregnancy never cost the state of Iowa anything. To take it a step further, after my daughter I had a miscarriage and now have unexplained secondary infertility. It is horrible to think someone in my situation without my strong beliefs in the sanctity of life may have aborted that child and then gone on to experience a miscarriage and infertility. The regret and shame from that would be unbearable on top of an already emotional situation of infertility. Parenthood is anything but planned. Just ask a mom who has a miscarriage or suffers from any kind of infertility. Control is an illusion Planned Parenthood tried to convince us we have. We have no control over this situation and Planned Parenthood is the one manipulating woman into believe they have any kind of control over this gift that truly comes from God alone.
Feel free to contact me and use my story as a statement of personal experience if you wish. I just ask you use my first name only. My current age is 29 if you need that and my daughter just turned 3. I don't know if this will help you but I did feel compelled to share this story.
Mary
These ads are truly upsetting to me. I'm embarrassed to even admit I've ever been to the place but maybe my experience can help you in some way. This is an interaction I had at a Planned Parenthood on/near the MLK 19th street area in August of 2004.
When I was scared and pregnant and didn't know any better I went to Planned Parenthood for a pregnancy test to confirm the two I had already taken. My interaction was - It's positive, you're pregnant. Do you want to keep it? I looked at her and said yes - she said, Ok, you are free to leave. I received, no real help, No how far along are you. No prenatal advice. No direction on what to do next. I guess if you know you are keeping your baby they do not want you there and will not offer support to you in anyway aside from a pregnancy test
I am sickened to think I'm one of the statistics they are using in their ads about the number of unplanned pregnancies in Iowa. My pregnancy may have been unplanned and I may have been scared but my daughter was not unwanted. I was single (although engaged) and without health insurance at the start of my pregnancy. Aside from my trip to Planned Parenthood my pregnancy never cost the state of Iowa anything. To take it a step further, after my daughter I had a miscarriage and now have unexplained secondary infertility. It is horrible to think someone in my situation without my strong beliefs in the sanctity of life may have aborted that child and then gone on to experience a miscarriage and infertility. The regret and shame from that would be unbearable on top of an already emotional situation of infertility. Parenthood is anything but planned. Just ask a mom who has a miscarriage or suffers from any kind of infertility. Control is an illusion Planned Parenthood tried to convince us we have. We have no control over this situation and Planned Parenthood is the one manipulating woman into believe they have any kind of control over this gift that truly comes from God alone.
Feel free to contact me and use my story as a statement of personal experience if you wish. I just ask you use my first name only. My current age is 29 if you need that and my daughter just turned 3. I don't know if this will help you but I did feel compelled to share this story.
Mary
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Please call your Senator and ask them to support the Johnson Amendment S5367 which would fund pregnancy centers.
Tell them that you do not support the Governor’s NEW FAMILY PLANNING FUND, paid for by our state budget. Ask them to support theJohnson Amendment for the Human Services Appropriations Budget. These funds would instead go to pregnancy centers and maternity homes. Express to your senator that Iowa should invest our tax dollars into preserving life and abstinence education. We need a positive approach rather than funding the controversial abortion industry.
Be sure to leave your name and number for them to call you back. This is VERY important. They need to hear from you.
Be sure to leave your name and number for them to call you back. This is VERY important. They need to hear from you.
Senate Switchboard: 515.281.3371
Find Your Senator and Representative—Click Here:http://www.legis.state.ia.us/FindLeg/
For More Information:
Kim Lehman
President
Iowa Right to Life Committee
Cell 515.202.2517
Kim Lehman
President
Iowa Right to Life Committee
Cell 515.202.2517