In a move that generated little media attention or focus, New Hampshire became the latest state to scrap taxpayer funding of the Planned Parenthood abortion business when members of a panel voted to void a $1.8 million contract.
Last Wednesday, on a 3-2 vote, members of the Executive Council rejected a taxpayer funded contract with the abortion business and told a newspaper that it was because Planned Parenthood does abortions and spends large amounts of money paying its administrators huge salaries and lobbying the state government.
The Executive Council voided the contract with Planned Parenthood of Northern New England (PPNNE) with Councilor Dan St. Hilaire of Concord casting a vote against the contract along with David Wheeler of Nashua and Raymond J. Wieczorek of Manchester. The Union Leader indicates Raymond S. Burton of Bath and Chris Sununu of Newfields supported funding the abortion business.
While the council approved contracts for legitimate medical centers and organizations, St. Hilaire told the newspaper that Planned Parenthood does abortions and its CEO earns in excess of $250,000 a year. St. Hilaire also cited the fact that most of the services and administration are located outside New Hampshire, in Vermont.
Nick Toumpas, commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, reacted to the move and told the newspaper he’s not sure if the de-funding will have any affect on the medical services women in New Hampshire receive. Like other states, women have many other options to find medical care from non-abortion agencies.
Commenting on the rejection of the contract, Kevin Smith, the director of the pro-life group Cornerstone Action, said he applauds “a majority of the Executive Council for scrutinizing every penny of tax-payer dollars by rejecting the contract for Planned Parenthood.”
“The taxpayers have made it very clear that they do not want one cent going towards the funding of abortions, either directly or indirectly,” Smith said. “Not to mention, it is obscene how much of PPNNE’s current revenue of $18 million is earmarked for things like overhead costs, salaries, marketing, and public policy advocacy. New Hampshire women deserve better than a “non-profit” that would deny women health services because they value administrative costs and political power above patient care.”
Smith indicated that the most recent annual report for Planned Parenthood of Northern New England shows that, of its $18 million dollars in revenue, $3,126,841 (or 16.9%) was spent on general and administrative costs, $714,877 (or 3.9%) was spent on policy advocacy spending or lobbying, $597,000 (or 3.2%) was spent on marketing and communications and $568,397 (or 3.1%) was spent on fundraising.
The trend of de-funding Planned Parenthood started last year when New Jersey Governor Chris Christie signed a budget which eliminated about 7.5 million dollars worth of family planning funding, part of which went to the abortion business.
Indiana approved a law de-funding Planned Parenthood and North Carolina and Kansas followed with similar efforts. Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker has since signed a budget cutting Planned Parenthood funding and Texas Gov. Rick Perry is about to follow suit.
