Wisconsin to Poor Pregnant Women: Have an Abortion-Yes, Health Care to Have the Child-NO
by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
May 29, 2009
Madison, WI (LifeNews.com) -- Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle and the majority Democrats in the state legislature are coming under fire for a budget that doesn't reflect pro-life values. It features funding for the Planned Parenthood abortion business and a revocation of funding for poor pregnant women who may be considering an abortion.
Doyle presented the budget to the legislature in February and, this week, the Joint Finance Committee approved it and sent it to the full legislature to consider.
The budget proposes $5.4 million for Wisconsin Planned Parenthood. Although the money is technically slated to be used for family planning, it frees up funds that Planned Parenthood can use to promote and perform abortions.
As LifeNews.com has reported, the Doyle budget also removes health care coverage for poor pregnant women and their unborn children.Wisconsin had been one of a dozen or more states that had taken advantage of the Unborn Child Rule.
During the Bush administration, President Bush displayed his concern for both mother and unborn child by putting an administrative rule in place allowing states to cover unborn children in the SCHIP program.
The rule, in place since 2002, entitles the pregnant mother to receive health care as well as her unborn child and pro-life groups supported the rule saying it would help reduce the number of abortions for poor women who decide to have an abortion for financial reasons or lack of health care during pregnancy.
Although pro-life advocates would like to get these provisions out of the budget before the bill goes to Doyle for his signature, the Democratic-controlled legislature likely won't allow that.
"We oppose these things going into the budget, but we don't have the power to take them out," pro-life state Sen. Glen Grothman told The Catholic Times newspaper.
Wisconsin Right to Life previously told LifeNews.com that Doyle's budget provisions were poor decisions.
"In the current law on BadgerCare Plus, there are numerous references to the unborn child and the unborn child's mother. By removing benefits eligibility for the unborn child, the practical results would be most disturbing," said Susan Armacost, the group’s legislative director.
Armacost told LifeNews.com that Wisconsin Right to Life is calling on the Joint Finance Committee and the entire state legislature to maintain benefits eligibility for unborn children under BadgerCare Plus.
Related web sites:
Doyle presented the budget to the legislature in February and, this week, the Joint Finance Committee approved it and sent it to the full legislature to consider.
The budget proposes $5.4 million for Wisconsin Planned Parenthood. Although the money is technically slated to be used for family planning, it frees up funds that Planned Parenthood can use to promote and perform abortions.
As LifeNews.com has reported, the Doyle budget also removes health care coverage for poor pregnant women and their unborn children.Wisconsin had been one of a dozen or more states that had taken advantage of the Unborn Child Rule.
During the Bush administration, President Bush displayed his concern for both mother and unborn child by putting an administrative rule in place allowing states to cover unborn children in the SCHIP program.
The rule, in place since 2002, entitles the pregnant mother to receive health care as well as her unborn child and pro-life groups supported the rule saying it would help reduce the number of abortions for poor women who decide to have an abortion for financial reasons or lack of health care during pregnancy.
Although pro-life advocates would like to get these provisions out of the budget before the bill goes to Doyle for his signature, the Democratic-controlled legislature likely won't allow that.
"We oppose these things going into the budget, but we don't have the power to take them out," pro-life state Sen. Glen Grothman told The Catholic Times newspaper.
Wisconsin Right to Life previously told LifeNews.com that Doyle's budget provisions were poor decisions.
"In the current law on BadgerCare Plus, there are numerous references to the unborn child and the unborn child's mother. By removing benefits eligibility for the unborn child, the practical results would be most disturbing," said Susan Armacost, the group’s legislative director.
Armacost told LifeNews.com that Wisconsin Right to Life is calling on the Joint Finance Committee and the entire state legislature to maintain benefits eligibility for unborn children under BadgerCare Plus.
Related web sites:
posted by Al @ 1:51 AM
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