The Republicans didn't lose the Planned Parenthood battle - they simply moved it to states that have Republican governors and legislators.
Legislators in my own little medieval state are now proposing to block all Federal funding for Planned Parenthood in Kansas. The proposal passed the Kansas House and now awaits action by our Senate. Of course, governor Sam Brownback - who in his short four months in office has already signed two anti-abortion bills - supports the move.
Looks like we celebrated a bit early. More states will follow.
This is what these 'pro-family, pro-child' Kansas GOP goons have proposed: elimination of the pass-through of Federal funds to Planned Parenthood clinics in the state.
Planned Parenthood officials say the funds at stake -- approximately $335,000 -- go toward getting low-income women needed health care services, such as breast exams, Pap smears, cancer screenings, tests for sexually transmitted diseases, and birth control.
These services help women avoid unintended pregnancies, they say. “It makes absolutely no sense to eliminate access to preventive Title 10 health services that reduce the need for abortion in Kansas,” said Peter Brownlie, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri.
Planned Parenthood says the funding is crucial to support Planned Parenthood health centers in Wichita and Hays, which according to a recent study serve nearly 9,000 women per year. No abortions are conducted at either one of those clinics. Planned Parenthood also points out that the Hays clinic is the only one for low-income women in Ellis County.
Wichita is the largest city in Kansas. Imagine the largest city in your state no longer providing low-cost health care for women because the ideologues in the Republican party eliminate funding. If you have a Republican governor and legislature, you may not imagine this for long. It may become reality.
What really saddens me about this is the fate women in Ellis county may face. I live in a rural county in Kansas and finding someone qualified to do a Pap smear in these rural areas is impossible. I drive to Kansas City to see my doctor. To take away this specialized care from rural women is just outrageous.
This fight is not over.