Iowa House Vote Makes My Home State the Latest to Try & Defund Planned Parenthood

On Wednesday, 18 April 2012, the Iowa House voted to amend the HHS Appropriation bill, SF 2336, to deny taxpayer funds for abortions (except to save the life of the mother) & deny family planning funds to abortion providing health clinics. 

& while I disagree with the continued myth that abortion is sometimes needed to save the life of the mother being made a part of the amendment, the amendment will take away any funds Planned Parenthood currently gets. The amendment also removes current exceptions for rape & incest, as well as, fetal abnormalities in terms of when taxpayer dollars can be used to fund abortions in Iowa. So, while not perfect. It is a step in the right direction.

The key part of the amendment as far as Planned Parenthood goes, reads as follows: "A department shall not distribute state or federal family planning funds under this section to any entity that performs abortions or that maintains or operates a facility where abortions are performed.”

According to Iowa pro-life blogger Shane Vander Hart:“In addition all state departments that distribute state and federal family planning money are required to report to the Governor and the General Assembly who received state or federal family planning funds. If they do distribute state or federal family planning funds to an entity that doesn’t provide primary health services they have to explain why it was necessary to prevent severe limitation or elimination to family planning services to that region of the state.”

The problem now is the Iowa Senate which is controlled by the Pro-abort, pro-Planned Parenthood Democrats. SF 2336 will now goes back to the Senate to be approved as amended. Iowa Right to Life is urging pro-life groups to contact legislators there to urge support for it. The bill will probably be considered by the Senate early next week.

It will be interesting to see how it plays out. But you can be sure the Dems will do all they can to derail it. I suspect the bill will end up in a joint committee. Hopefully the House will have to courage to stand up & force it to be kept in.

Stay tuned for further developments.

Sources: Iowa House Votes to Stop Funding Abortion, Planned Parenthood