Laura Bassett, a blogger-reporter from Huffington Post, seems to have scored an impressive jump on traditional media, being the first to report that the North Carolina GOP Overrides Veto, Axes Planned Parenthood Funding, in a well written article. For those of you boycotting Huffington Post, I will post other links as soon as they become available, but I've already waited an hour. (Is this boycott still going on? What is it about?) Basset writes:
Republican state representatives in North Carolina voted to override Democratic Gov. Bev Perdue's veto of the state budget Wednesday morning, ensuring that a provision to strip all federal and state money from Planned Parenthood will take effect on July 1. North Carolina is now the third state, after Indiana and Kansas, to defund the family planning provider because it also provides abortions.
Planned Parenthood of North Carolina (PPNC), which has nine clinics across the state, provides affordable birth control, preventative health care and family planning services to over 25,000 men and women. Without the $434,000 a year it usually receives in state and federal funds, Planned Parenthood says it will now have to axe its teen pregnancy prevention and adolescent parenting programs and force its low-income patients to pay out of pocket.
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Despite the fact, that abortions constitute less than 3% of Planned Parenthood's activities, Bassett writes that the GOP is now targeting North Carolina as the third state targeted for a complete cut off funding for Planned Parenthood.
Melissa Reed, vice president of public policy for Planned Parenthood Health Systems says, "there are 12- to 14-week waits for women to get into the health department for birth control or breast cancer screenings, (in other health clinics) but we can see patients the very same week. The health department relies on Planned Parenthood to fill that gap, and now we will be prohibited from serving as that essential safety net provider."
PPNC receives funds through the Title X Family Planning Program and state-funded birth control programs as a way to provide discounted pap tests, cancer screenings and birth control for low-income, uninsured patients. The Hyde Amendment prevents state and federal money from being used to pay for abortions. The family planning provider estimates that abortions account for less than 3 percent of the services it provides.
According to a recent poll, 57 percent of North Carolina voters oppose the measure to defund Planned Parenthood and teen pregnancy prevention programs, and Reed said people have already started sending donations to keep PPNC afloat.
I just checked Google again for alternative links to this story. Unfortunately, the only new on is this one from the anti-abortion site at Lifesitenews.
North Carolina poised to defund Planned Parenthood after House votes to override veto by Kathleen Gilbert.
I only include it here so I can quote Planned Parenthood's North Carolina director's call for volunteer funding to replace that expected to be lost from the state, when the Senate votes this afternoon.
In the wake of the override vote Wednesday morning, Planned Parenthood immediately asked supporters for donations and condemned the vote as opposing “lifesaving cancer screenings and birth control.”
“The continued misleading attacks on Planned Parenthood expose a cynical and coldhearted willingness to further a divisive political agenda even if it will deny women access to lifesaving preventive healthcare,” said Paige Johnson, Vice-President of Public Policy with Planned Parenthood of Central North Carolina, in a press release.
Johnson also said her organization is “considering all options” to defend itself, including a lawsuit.
Both Kansas and Indiana have passed measures to defund Planned Parenthood this year.
The North Caroline State Senate is expected to also override the Governor’s veto either this afternoon, or Thursday morning.
How sad. What are the poorest, and most needy people of our country going to do if the GOP continues these savage attacks on the well being and common good of the American people.
Are we going to see voters rise up and throw these scoundrels out of office in 2012. If we do not, we will not have anyone else to blame but ourselves. And, I guess the docile media, and the docile politicians.
... and, lying Republicans, like Senator Kyl, who suggested Planned Parenthood, was nothing but an abortion clinic.
Let me rephrase my exit kicker, "Among the many people we can blame, other than ourselves, if we voter do no rise up and throw these GOP bums out, will be ourselves, docile traditional media, politician, and lying Republicans......" (With apologies to Monty Python)
Sorry, folks, I know this is too tragic for gallows humor, but how else can we get through the day, with such discouraging news. Last night, I reported the Federal GOP is cutting the funding for Woman, Infant, and Children, WIC, which Representative Hinchey also reports this afternoon.
This is sad, very sad.