Indiana governor to sign bill defunding Planned Parenthood

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_daniels_planned_parenthood

INDIANAPOLIS – Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels said Friday he will sign restrictive abortion legislation, making Indiana the first state to cut off all government funding for Planned Parenthood and boosting Daniels' credentials among social conservatives as he considers whether to run for president.

Daniels said he supported the abortion restrictions from the outset and that the provision added to defund abortion providers did not change his mind. He said women's health, family planning and other services will remain available.

"The principle involved commands the support of an overwhelming majority of Hoosiers," Daniels said in a statement announcing his intention to sign the bill when it arrives on his desk in about a week.

Planned Parenthood of Indiana said in a statement it would file an injunction to "try to halt this alarming erosion of public health policy in our state."

Organization president Betty Cockrum said Daniels' decision to sign the bill was unconscionable and unspeakable.

"We will now suffer the consequences of lawmakers who have no regard for fact-based decision making and sound public health policy," she said.

The bill puts Indiana at risk of losing $4 million a year in federal family planning grants likely to be cut off because of the legislation. Daniels, known as a fiscal hawk, did not address the loss in his statement.

The bill wasn't part of Daniels' agenda and he did not publicly advocate for the Planned Parenthood provision, but signing it might help his chances of winning the GOP nomination. Daniels opposes abortion rights, but his call for a Republican "truce" on social issues has drawn the ire of the social conservatives.

Bill sponsor state Rep. Eric Turner, R-Cicero, said social conservatives will be happy with Daniels' decision.

"No one will talk about the truce," Turner said. "People in the conservative community care about action, and he's clearly the most pro-life governor in America with a signature on that bill."

State Rep. Linda Lawson, a Democrat from Hammond who opposes the bill, said the legislation wouldn't win Daniels any friends among independents and women.

"It might be a maneuver, but I don't know if it's in his best interest," Lawson said.

While some at the Statehouse thought Daniels' decision was a sign he'll be running for president, House Speaker Brian Bosma, R-Indianapolis, said people shouldn't read too much into it. He said he thought the governor would likely sign the bill regardless of his future plans.

Planned Parenthood says the bill could leave as many as 22,000 patients without access to Pap tests, birth control and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases.

The governor's office said the law will affect 7 entities in Indiana that have a total of 34 locations in 21 counties.

Daniels said he has ordered Indiana's Family and Social Services Administration to ensure Medicaid recipients receive prompt notice of nearby care options.

"We will take any actions necessary to ensure that vital medical care is, if anything, more widely available than before," Daniels said.

"Any organization affected by this provision can resume receiving taxpayer dollars immediately by ceasing or separating its operations that perform abortions."

Planned Parenthood of Indiana had urged Daniels to veto the bill and started a series of statewide rallies against it Friday.

Daniels, 62, has said he will decide on a run for president after the Indiana Legislature adjourns, which is expected Friday. He's also said he will not have a decision this weekend.

[Peikko 1,575]

Because that's all planned parenthood has ever done, boost abortions. Some conservatives love cutting their noses off to spite their faces. Idiotic.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Who needs fertility treatments, prenatal care, cancer screenings and other women's health services which make up some 97% of Planned Parenthood's services? Just have fewer babies and less healthy ones and let women die earlier of cancer that could have been detected and treated early. No big deal. After all, these women don't have a right to life.

[Obama 2012 1,714]

yes, let's have more children who don't have daddies, who don't have responsible mother, who end up on welfare, end up on medicaid, end up on WIC. Yup, let's do that.

The idiocy here is astounding.

The fiscal cons need to tell the social cons to STFU.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

yes, let's have more children who don't have daddies, who don't have responsible mother, who end up on welfare, end up on medicaid, end up on WIC. Yup, let's do that.

The idiocy here is astounding.

The fiscal cons need to tell the social cons to STFU.

The hypocrisy is what's astounding. I thought they're fighting Planned Parenthood because they abort fetuses - i.e. because their existence reduces the number of births. If that was true than the social conservatives ought to be supporting Planned Parenthood which would then, if the premise was true, ensure that we have fewer kids w/o daddies and fewer kids on Medicaid and WIC. So, which is it? Are we abandoning Planned Parenthood to have fewer or more babies?

[Sofiyya 1,687]

Kill! Kill! Kill!

[Danno 1,228]

The hypocrisy is what's astounding. I thought they're fighting Planned Parenthood because they abort fetuses - i.e. because their existence reduces the number of births. If that was true than the social conservatives ought to be supporting Planned Parenthood which would then, if the premise was true, ensure that we have fewer kids w/o daddies and fewer kids on Medicaid and WIC. So, which is it? Are we abandoning Planned Parenthood to have fewer or more babies?

The reason the "social Conservatives" have so little say is.... most voted for Obama.

Anyway Planned Parenthood is still deeply involved in Abortion and to a growing number of tax payers, it goes against their convictions on this matter.

If we must have this mini form of socialized medicine..... let them drop the abortion aspect of it.

Certainly with all the Pro-abortion folks left they could raise funds in a private way to carry out this service.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Anyway Planned Parenthood is still deeply involved in Abortion...

Deeply involved? How do they do that if 97% or better of the services they provide have NOTHING to do with abortion? None of the taxpayer funds go towards abortions. Not a dime. What's the issue other than social conservatives wanting to deny fertility treatments, pre-natal care, cancer screenings and such to women? That's what this is really all about. Social conservatives hate women.

[Saddle Bronc 124]

Reinhard, it has been much documented how much cancer-screening PP does--goose-egg (they don't even have the equipment to do that)!

Your figure of 97% of service done by PP is non-abortion is absolute shaganappi!

Edited April 30, 2011 by Saddle Bronc

[Peikko 1,575]

Reinhard, it has been much documented how much cancer-screening PP does--goose-egg (they don't even have the equipment to do that)!

Your figure of 97% of service done by PP is non-abortion is absolute shaganappi!

Not really. Here's the data:

My link

This is for the affiliate medical services. It does not specify where the financing comes from, but even where it to get governmental subsidy, 3% is hardly a good reason for preventing all the other very much needed services provided by the affiliate. It's completely ridiculous to make out that planned parenthood is some kind of baby killing organization. Absurd and disingenuous to boot.

[Amby 490]

I know planned parenthood does good things and all... I've been into a few in different places across the country and it just creeps me out

[Danno 1,228]

It creeps me out that anyone would aid a pimp to "service" his underage whores.... in a place the Government subsidizes.

With PLanned Parenthood they were not only offering help (to the pimp)... but at multiple locations.

Imagine your runaway daughter in that position.. and these people helping the pimp "keep her working".

[Sergi9 110]

Reinhard, it has been much documented how much cancer-screening PP does--goose-egg (they don't even have the equipment to do that)!

Your figure of 97% of service done by PP is non-abortion is absolute shaganappi!

So the "equipment" you are saying they don't have in a gynecological clinic is a pap smear test kit? Which by the way is what they use to test for cervical cancer.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Reinhard, it has been much documented how much cancer-screening PP does--goose-egg (they don't even have the equipment to do that)!

It has? Where? Show me, please.