Washington, DC ─ Today, the Susan B. Anthony List (SBA List), a national pro-life organization, praised Majority Leader Paul Stam, State Representatives Justin Burr, Marilyn Avila, Nelson Dollar, and the North Carolina legislature for passing a budget adjustment bill that redirects $343,000 in family planning funding from Planned Parenthood to county health departments. The budget was enacted at midnight last night after the legislature voted to override Governor Bev Perdue’s veto.
“Planned Parenthood is an abortion-centered, profit-driven business, not the caring health provider for women and girls they purport to be. They neither need nor deserve taxpayer dollars,” said Marjorie Dannenfelser, President of the Susan B. Anthony List. “This budget adjustment does not cut a dime of family planning funding. It does protect the consciences of pro-life taxpayers by sending funds to county health departments which do not perform abortions.
“In the last year Planned Parenthood was exposed as a willing ally of alleged human traffickers, culpable of the waste, abuse, and potential fraud of millions of taxpayer dollars, and most recently as a facilitator of sex-selective abortions. Despite these scandals, President Obama has refused to allow a single tax dollar to be cut from Planned Parenthood at the federal level. As he fights to protect Planned Parenthood’s taxpayer-funded bottom line, Americans nationwide are firmly resolved to defund big abortion and protect the conscience rights of taxpayers. North Carolina legislators will not be the last to take action.”
Last year pro-life legislators in the North Carolina General Assembly voted to strip Planned Parenthood of roughly$434,000 in the budget. Governor Bev Purdue vetoed the budget, which was overridden by the legislature. The provision specifically named Planned Parenthood, and a legal challenge by the abortion business resulted in a preliminary injunction. The language passed in this year’s budget revision does not specifically target Planned Parenthood.
The SBA List has led the charge to defund Planned Parenthood in the states following last year’s Congressional battle, offering state groups and legislators model legislation, expert testimony and grassroots muscle. In 2011, eight states successfully defunded Planned Parenthood of more than $61.7 million. This year, with the help of the SBA List, Arizona, Ohio, Iowa, New Hampshire and Oklahoma have taken on Planned Parenthood’s tax funding.