Texas Groups Apply for Alternatives to Abortion State Funding 
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by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
November 18, 2005
Austin, TX (LifeNews.com) — Two Texas groups that help provide resources and counseling for pregnant women with unplanned pregnancies or considering abortion have filed for $5 million in state funds. Texas lawmakers set aside the money in the state Health and Human Services Commission budget to promote alternatives to abortion.
The two applicants include the Texas Pregnancy Care Network of Bellville, in association with Real Alternatives and The Heidi Group of Round Rock, in partnership with the Texas Association of Women’s Resource Organizations.
Organizations like Planned Parenthood that provide counseling to pregnant women in favor of abortion were ineligible to apply for the funds. Officials with Planned Parenthood Trust of San Antonio and South Central Texas filed a complaint about the pro-life requirements and made changes to their application for funding but it didn’t make a difference.
Jennifer Bilbrey, director of public policy for the abortion business complained that "so-called ‘crisis pregnancy centers’ are applying for money that is being taken away from qualified, experienced family planning providers like Planned Parenthood."
"Our tax dollars will now pay for women to receive inaccurate, biased information from ill-equipped volunteers who fail to talk to women about all their options when faced with an unplanned pregnancy," she claimed. "This does nothing to solve the problem of unintended pregnancies."
But HHSC spokesperson Jennifer Harris told the San Antonio Express-News, "We still had to ensure that the active promotion of childbirth is a fundamental aspect of the statewide program that will be developed."
The money will be given to the groups over a period of two years and they will likely use it to provide housing, baby needs, health care and insurance, educational assistance and other help for pregnant women.
Related web sites:
Real Alternatives – https://www.realalternatives.org
The Heidi Group – https://www.heidigroup.org
