Taxpayers are picking up the tab for Big Abortion in a big way — probably bigger than anything the average taxpayer would imagine. Taxpayer dollars are not only directly funding abortion, but are also paying for abortion facilities, abortion referral hotlines, abortion websites, and even abortion training in several states.
MILLIONS IN STATE FUNDING
Taxpayers in various states are now funding abortion, as private donations to abortion funding agencies allegedly dry up.
National Institute for Reproductive Health (NIRH) President Andrea Miller admitted as much in an interview with NPR, stating, “We’ve seen unrivaled action across states and localities at the municipal level to bolster access to reproductive healthcare, and especially around abortion, as a really immediate and direct response.”
NPR wrote that, according to Miller:
Money has been set aside for a variety of purposes… including allocations for abortion funds and support networks that provide financial assistance to people struggling to pay for procedures, travel and other associated costs. California, for example, set aside $20 million to help out-of-state patients travel there for abortions; Chicago’s public health department allocated $500,000 to be split between Planned Parenthood of Illinois and the Chicago Abortion Fund.
“One of the biggest chunks of cash comes from the $198.5 million, at least, in new state government funding allocated to supporting reproductive healthcare, including abortion, in the year since the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health decision that overturned Roe v. Wade…” Forbes reported in June. That data came from the NIRH and is based on taxpayer funding in California, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Mexico, New Jersey and Washington, “along with $9.4 million in funding from local governments.”
“Post-Dobbs, at least 15 localities and six new states dedicated nearly $208 million to funding abortion care, clinical reproductive health services and infrastructure, and practical support like patient navigation for those seeking abortions,” the NIRH wrote in June of 2023. NIRH documented the following state and local government funding totals:
- Localities: $9.4 million (Fresno, CA; Los Angeles, CA; Atlanta, GA; Chicago, IL; Baltimore, MD; Hennepin County, MN; Minneapolis, MN; St. Louis, MO; New York, NY; Columbus, OH; Cuyahoga County, OH; Philadelphia, PA; Nashville, TN; King County, WA; Seattle, WA)
- States: $198.5 million (CA, IL, MA, NM, NJ, and WA)
- Post-Dobbs TOTAL: $207.9 million
“But conservative-led states outspent governments supporting abortion rights, putting at least $252.9 million on funding state alternatives to abortion programs since the Dobbs ruling, which directs money to anti-abortion ‘crisis pregnancy centers,’” Forbes added in 2023.
On the local level, significant taxpayer dollars were funneled toward abortion:
2024 —The Austin City Council approved $400,000 for people to travel out of state for abortions.
Philadelphia’s City Council Minority Leader Kendra Brooks announced $500,000 in city funds for Planned Parenthood’s Southeastern Pennsylvania chapter. The money will help provide sexual and reproductive services and abortion care to people at its four Philadelphia locations.
2023 — San Antonio approved $500,000 for a “Reproductive Justice Fund.”
The City Council of St. Petersburg, Florida, advanced a funding request that would allocate $50,000 to pay the travel expenses of city residents who are seeking abortion.
2022 — The Atlanta City Council approved “donation” to an abortion fund.
Fresno’s city council approved $1 million in funding from the state for Planned Parenthood.
The Albuquerque City Council voted to send $250,000 to Planned Parenthood.
Nashville’s Metro Council agenda revealed that the City Council had plans to grant Planned Parenthood $500,000.
Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney announced that the city sent $500,000 to the Abortion Liberation Fund of PA, which provides financial assistance to women who can’t afford abortion.
A resolution passed in Atlanta, Georgia, allowed the city of Atlanta to donate $300,000 to pro-abortion organizations.
Montgomery County (Maryland) Executive Marc Elrich requested $1 million in supplemental allocation for increased funding to provide “grants to organizations… that provide abortion services,” to provide “aid to organizations that are fighting legal battles on behalf of those seeking access to abortion services; [s]ecurity for providers who offer direct abortion services or referral to abortion services,” and “[s]upport for organizations and providers who offer direct abortion services or refer to abortion services to begin practicing in Montgomery County.” Elrich later announced the county was committing $1 million for grants to fund abortion providers, despite the fact that Maryland has not passed any pro-life measures. (Read more here.)
The Kansas City Council approved a measure that could provide a $300 travel stipend for city workers seeking an abortion, according to KCTV5.
In St. Louis, Missouri, $3.05 million in funding was allocated toward the creation of a “Reproductive Equity Fund.”
The city council of Toledo, Ohio, drafted a resolution to funnel $100,000 to an organization which subsidizes “abortion-related logistical needs.”
ABORTION FACILITIES
Taxpayers in multiple states are footing the bill for profitable abortion providers to make improvements to their facilities, along with other business costs.
CALIFORNIA: “California allocated over $200 million in 2022-23 to support people seeking abortion care and abortion providers over several fiscal years” to” Support health care facilities and providers, Provide training, curriculum, fellowships, and loan forgiveness to build a diverse workforce of reproductive health care professionals and improve physical and digital security at abortion care facilities,” Abortion.ca.gov wrote.
ILLINOIS: Illinois Governor JB Pritzker told NPR Illinois the state’s Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity will open a $5 million grant program for reproductive health care providers in Illinois.
“That money comes from the non-transportation portion of Illinois’ $45 billion infrastructure program, Rebuild Illinois. It can be spent on improvements, repairs, new construction, security upgrades and equipment, including vehicles that can be turned into mobile care units,” wrote NPR.
NEW MEXICO: In 2022, New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham pledged $10 million to build an abortion facility in the state.
“This center is positioned just minutes from Texas, clearly aiming to pull vulnerable women across state lines to expand abortion and sex-change services right at our border and on our dime,” wrote Mark Cavaliere, CEO Southwest Coalition, Inc. in an e-mail. “As of August 20, property records now show that the four parcels on the map have been officially transferred to The University of New Mexico.”
NEW JERSEY: Gov. Phil Murphy reported last year that NJ awarded $15 million in zero-interest loans and grants to facilities that provide abortion to make ‘warm’ and ‘welcoming’ upgrades to abortion businesses.
“Facilities that demonstrate they face high security risks can apply for $100,000 grants from a $5 million pool. The funding could be used to hire security personnel or pay for preparedness training,” the AP reported.
According to a previous Live Action News report, the state budget signed by Murphy allocated “$5 million for security upgrades for reproductive health care facilities and $5 million for the state to recruit and train more reproductive health care professionals” — meaning medical providers willing to commit abortions.
NEW YORK: In May of 2022, New York State allocated $25 million to “expand abortion provider capacity and ensure access for patients seeking abortion care in New York.” In addition, the state launched “$10 million for security grants to help ensure the safety of providers and patients,” an announcement on the governor’s website claimed. In October of 2022, the Governor announced “$13.4 million awarded in the second round of the Abortion Provider Support Fund to 37 providers, covering 64 clinical sites to further expand access to abortion services in New York.”
ABORTION HOTLINES/WEBSITES
Taxpayers are funding abortion hotlines and referral websites in various states.
CALIFORNIA: California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced in 2022 the launch of the “California Abortion Access” website. The $1 million site is part of a $200 million budget package aimed at strengthening abortion access in the state.
ILLINOIS: In July of 2023, NPR Illinois reported that “the state’s Department of Public Health will spend $10 million to create a hotline to aid callers in finding providers and making appointments.”
“The hotline, dubbed the Complex Abortion Regional Line for Access, or CARLA, will be staffed by nurses who will aid patients through scheduling appointments within hospital systems and getting set up with any required pre-operative testing… Dr. Laura Laursen, an obstetrician-gynecologist and assistant professor at Rush, will be a co-director of CARLA,” noted the outlet.
MASSACHUSETTS: In 2023, the “Reproductive Equity Now Foundation, in partnership with [Massachusetts] Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell, the Women’s Bar Foundation, the ACLU of Massachusetts, and five law firms, launched the Abortion Legal Hotline… to connect Massachusetts-based health care providers, helpers, and patients obtaining…free legal advice and resources about abortion access and care,” a state press release read.
NEVADA: Nevada launched a website by the Division of Public and Behavioral Health to promote abortion and encourage people to “snitch” on pro-life pregnancy help centers. Ironically, the PRC section was later removed.
NEW JERSEY: In 2023, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy signed legislation to create the “Reproductive Health Information Hub” website, meant to be a “one-stop shop for reproductive health care information.”
NEW MEXICO: In 2023, New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham announced her administration had established a toll-free abortion hotline to offer information on abortion facilities and connect callers with transportation options for abortion travel. According to records obtained by the New Mexico Alliance for Life, one of the abortion facilities women are being referred to is operated by The Satanic Temple.
NEW YORK: In 2022, “New York Attorney General Letitia James, 24 national law firms, and eight reproductive rights organizations… announced the launch of a legal hotline that will provide legal guidance and resources to patients, healthcare providers, and supporters seeking information about their legal rights to access and provide abortions,” the release stated. The state also published the “Safe Abortion Access for All” website.
In addition, New York City’s Abortion Access Hub connects abortion clients to staff who will “ask you simple questions to assess how far along your pregnancy is, what type of abortion service you prefer, what borough you would like services in, and when,” the City’s website stated.
OREGON: In 2024, the Oregon Health Authority launched the Abortion Access in Oregon website to make it clear that abortions are legal in Oregon. “Under the Reproductive Health Equity Act passed in 2017, abortions are free to patients. They have to be covered by insurance, including Medicaid and commercial and employer plans,” opb.org reported.
PENNSYLVANIA: In 2023, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro launched the “Accessing Abortion Care in Pennsylvania” website “to provide facts and information in the wake of the Texas decision seeking to restrict access to medication abortions nationwide.” The website instructs both in-state and out-of-state women and girls on how to find an abortionist, make an abortion plan, and get financial support to pay for the abortion.
ABORTION TRAINING
Taxpayers in multiple states are also funding the expansion of abortion through abortion training disbursements from state treasuries.
CALIFORNIA: “A law enacted in September makes it easier for out-of-state trainees to get up to 90 days of in-person training under the supervision of a California-licensed doctor. The law eliminated the requirement for a training license and also permitted training at programs such as Planned Parenthood that are affiliated with accredited medical schools,” reported California Healthline.
“Between June 2022, when Roe was overturned, and the end of June 2023, 125 out-of-state doctors did residencies in programs that use the Ryan Residency Training Program model, according to Kristin Simonson, director of programs and operations. Ryan helps OB-GYN residency programs integrate comprehensive abortion care training,” the media outlet wrote.
ILLINOIS: In 2024, the Illinois Department of Public Health announced it “awarded $2 million to three different organizations to provide training that will increase access to safe, high-quality abortions across the state. The Abortion Provider Capacity Building Grant Program awarded grants to the Midwest Access Project (MAP), Planned Parenthood of Illinois (PPIL), and the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) College of Nursing.”
“The University of Illinois Chicago is set to create the RADIANT Fellowship, designed to immerse nurse practitioners in abortion care training,” reported Hoodline.
An Illinois spending plan “included $8 million in additional training for reproductive health care providers and a specialty consultation program for at-risk patients,” reported NPR Illinois.
MARYLAND: In 2023, Live Action News documented that Maryland Gov. Wes Moore had released $3.5 million to fund the training of new abortionists.
Then in February of 2024, CBS News reported that Moore announced $15.6 million in investments to shore up the state’s abortion care access.”
“In addition to the Moore-Miller Administration’s FY 2025 $5 million allocation to increase Medicaid provider reimbursement for abortion care and reproductive services” the governor’s website read, “the Maryland Department of Health has awarded a $10.6 million grant to the University of Maryland, Baltimore, to administer Maryland’s Abortion Care Clinical Training Program.,” the governor’s website claimed.
“A $10.6 million training grant has been awarded to the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) and University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) to administer Maryland’s Abortion Clinical Care Training Program. The grant will be used to expand the number of healthcare professionals with abortion care training, increase the racial and ethnic diversity among health care professionals with abortion care education, and support the identification of clinical sites needing training,” a release published by the University of Maryland read.
The program’s new funding would expand the number of healthcare professionals with abortion care training, increase diversity in the field, and support the identification of clinical sites to offer training, CBS News noted.
NEW JERSEY: In 2022, the governor announced his intent to “create a new Reproductive Health Access Fund to support access to reproductive health care for uninsured and underinsured women, clinical training grants to expand the number of health care providers with abortion training, and funding to help cover the costs of necessary security measures to protect at-risk health care sites.”
Taxpayers have a right to know how their funds are being spent. Funding for the abortion industry is being funneled from multiple sources — state and local.
