Maine Governor Paul LePage has delighted pro-life advocates today by initially pushing for and now signing a state budget into law that de-funds an abortion business that also funds Planned Parenthood. The abortion business stands to lose hundreds of thousands of dollars as a result.
LePage signed the budget that makes $80 million total in cuts to help reverse a state budget shortfall. He signed the budget hours after the Maine House and Senate gave their final approval to the bill. In final votes last night, the Senate passed the budget 19-14 and the House approved it 75-61.
The budget strips the Family Planning Council of Maine of hundreds of thousands of dollars. FPCM does abortions at two clinics it runs and funnels money to the Planned Parenthood abortion business — meaning it could lose some funding as well with FPCM operating as a pass-through entity.
Staff at Maine Right to Life showered the governor with praise.
“As you know, the Governor’s 2013 budget defunds Family Planning Association of Maine and Planned Parenthood in the amount of $400,000. Thank you, Governor LePage,” the group told LifeNews. “We are thankful for the passage of this pro-life budget, and ask that you send Governor LePage a note of appreciation.”
“This is a great day for Maine’s unborn and their mothers, who are better served by providers not compromised by the wholesale destruction of innocent human life. Abortion is not healthcare. We believe Maine women and their children deserve better,” the pro-life group added.
The de-funding comes after the Iowa state legislature, before wrapping up its legislative session for the year, killed off an effort put forward by pro-life groups to cut off taxpayer funding for the Planned Parenthood abortion business. While Planned Parenthood doesn’t get funding for abortions, it receives $6 million in state tax dollars as reimbursement for providing birth control and family planning for women that can be obtained elsewhere without supporting an abortion business.
State lawmakers in Ohio are looking at their own effort to de-fund the abortion business.
ACTION: Thank Governor LePage at https://www.maine.gov/governor/lepage/citizen_services/index.shtml
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